December 17, 2022-In the first top 25 battle in White Auditorium since 2007, #22 Emporia State knocked off #1 Northwest Missouri 74-65 on Saturday night in White Auditorium. It was the first time the Hornets have defeated the #1 NCAA Division II team in the nation in White Auditorium in school history.
The Bearcats hit their first five shots from the field and used an early 8-1 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 13-6 with 15:57 left in the half.
Alijah Comithier then went on a personal 7-0 run to pull the Hornets into a 13-13 tie with 13:23 remaining in the half. Back to back Bennett Stirtz three-pointers gave NWMSU a 21-15 lead with 10:44 left.
Owen Long matched that with two threes of his own to tie the game at 21 just over two minutes later.
Northwest would take another six point lead at 27-21 with 6:07 left but Long answered with two more treys to make it 27-27 with 5:32 left. Emporia State would push the run to 10-0 as they held the Bearcats scoreless for over five minutes, taking a 31-27 lead with 45 seconds left on a
Kaden Evans free throw. The Bearcats would score the final four points of the half as the teams were knotted at 31 going to the locker rooms.
The two teams went back and forth over the first ten minutes of the second half with neither team getting more than a three-point lead until the Hornets used a 9-0 run to go up 49-42 with 9:06 left.
Sam Baker gave Emporia State the lead for good with a three-pointer at the 12:37 mark to make it 43-42. Long hit two free throws with 10:42 left to push the lead to three. Following the free throws Comithier blocked Stirtz and Baker grabbed the rebound, going coast to coast for a lay-up to give Emporia State a 47-42 lead.
Atavian Butler scored on a put back to end the run and give the Hornets a seven point lead. The Bearcats would not get closer than five points the rest of the way.
Stirtz was fouled on a three-pointer with 1:05 left and hit all three free throws to pull the Bearcats within seven at 64-57.
Mayuom Buom put an exclamation point on the night with a dunk as the Hornets broke the Bearcat press following the free throws to give ESU a 66-57 lead. Emproia State hit eight straight free throws in the final 47 seconds to ice the win.
Owen Long led all scorers with an Emporia State career high 29 points including a six of eight performance from beyond the three-point line. He was joined in double figures by
Alijah Comithier with 19 points.
Emporia State is back in action on Monday afternoon when they play host to Missouri Western. Tip-off for the matinee is set for 3:30 p.m.
NOTES
Emporia State has defeated Northwest Missouri three straight times as they snapped the Bearcats 21 game winning streak. The Hornets were the last team to defeat NWMSU, taking a 76-75 win in Maryville, Mo. on February 21, 2022.
