February 19, 2022-Emporia State came back from a 13 point first half deficit but could not overcome hitting a season low four three-pointers in an 80-75 loss at Missouri Western on Saturday night in St. Joseph, Mo.
The Hornets jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led 18-16 before the Griffons went on a 14-0 run to take a 30-18 lead with 8:19 left in the first.
Tray Buchanan broke the run with a pair of free throws at the 8:08 mark and
Jumah'Ri Turner scored on an inside jumper to make it 30-22. Will Eames scored the next five points for MWSU to give them their biggest lead at 35-22 with 5:50 remaining in the half. A 10-2 run, with the final six coming from Turner, got Emporia State back within five at 37-32. Turner's floater with 2:45 left was the last field goal of the half as Western went three for four and ESU two of two from the free throw and the Griffons took a 40-34 lead to the break.
Western led 47-40 with 16:06 left in the first half when the Hornets went on an 8-0 run to take a 48-47 lead on
Peyton Rogers-Schmidt's dunk with 14:44 left. That would the first of eight lead changes over the next three minutes. The Griffons would break the string of trading scores when JaQuaylon Mays hit a three-pointer with 10:36 left to give Western a 59-54 lead.
Caleb Bennett hit one of two free throws with 3:46 left to give Western a 71-67 lead. Turner scored inside to cut the lead to two and then
Brenden Van Dyke had back to back dunks to give the Hornets a 73-71 lead with 2:27 remaining. It would be the final field goal for Emporia State. Eames made one of two free throws with 2:08 left to pull the Griffons within a point. Bennett made two free throws with 1:42 left to give MWSU a 74-73 lead. Eames scored inside to make it 76-73 and then hit two free throws with 59 seconds left to make it a two possession game. Bennett dunked with 33.7 seconds left for Western and Turner hit two free throws with 7.0 seconds left for the Hornets for the final score.
Jumah'Ri Turner scored 29 points for Emporia State and was joined in double figures by
Tray Buchanan with 16 and
Brenden Van Dyke with 12 points and eight rebounds. As a team the Hornets were just four of 19 from the three-point line, their lowest output of the season, while Western went 11 of 18 from beyond the arc.
The Hornets will be back in action on Monday when they travel to #7 Northwest Missouri. Tip-off of the weather postponed make up game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.
NOTES:
With 29 points
Jumah'Ri Turner passed John Hughes (1,266 pts from 1982-86) and Wes Book (1,267 points from 2004-08) for 13
th on the Hornets all-time scoring list with 1,289 points.
With 16 points
Tray Buchanan passed Brian Robinson (666 points in 1983-84) for fifth on the Hornets single season scoring list with 668 points.
