Men's Basketball | 1/16/2024 9:51:00 PM
Game #18
Emporia State Hornets (11-6, 4-5 MIAA)
vs. Pittsburg State Gorillas (9-5, 5-3 MIAA)
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 • 7:30 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • WL White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU leads 104-96
Last Meeting: PSU 68, at ESU 67 (2/23/23)
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM
Internet Audio:
kvoe.com
Television: None
Internet Video:
themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Live Stats |
Ticket Info |
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Missouri Southern • Saturday, January 21, 2024 • 3:30 p.m.
Emporia, Kan. • WL White Auditorium
BACK IN WHITE
The Hornets return to White Auditorium to take on Pittsburg State.
LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State was held to a season low 53 points in a 60-53 loss at Central Missouri. The Hornets had an 11-6 lead with 12:34 left in the first half only to see the Mules go on a 7-0 run to take the lead with 10:38 left. It would remain a one possession game the rest of the half as ESU led 24-23 at the break. A 7-1 run to start the second half gave the Hornets their biggest lead at 31-24 just over two minutes into the second half. The Mules answered with a 15-3 run to go up 39-34 with 12:38 left. An
Owen Long three-pointer with 7:25 left gave ESU a 48-46 lead. The Hornets went scoreless over the next five minutes as the Mules built a 56-48 lead before
Atavian Butler scored on a put back with 2:37 left. Butler had 17 points and added a career high 9 rebounds.
Solomon Oraegbu scored 15 points with eight rebounds. Long scored 10 points with five rebounds and four assists.
THE COACHES
Craig Doty is 89-70 in his sixth season at Emporia State. In his 12th season as a head coach at the D2, NAIA, and NJCAA level he is 251-120 with three national championships. He was 49-22 in two years at Graceland and won the 2018 NAIA National Championship. Doty spent four years at Rock Valley College winning two NJCAA D-III national championships to finish with a 113-28 record. He is 5-3 against Pittsburg State.
Jeff Boschee is 17-25 in his second season at Pittsburg State and 168-111 in his 10th year overall. He is 1-1 against Emporia State at Pitt State and 9-3 in his career.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 11-6, 4-5 in the MIAA and have three of the top seven scorers in the MIAA.
Solomon Oraegbu is fourth with 17.9 points per game while
Alijah Comithier is fifth at 17.2 and
Owen Long is ranked seventh at 15.9 points per game.
Darius Yohe leads the MIAA in blocks and
Kaden Evans leads in the league in steals.
ABOUT THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 9-5, 5-3 in the MIAA. Jeramy Shaw averages 19.5 points but has only played in six games. Max Alexander is leading the MIAA in league games only at 21.8 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 201st meeting between the two teams with Emporia State holding a 104-96 overall advantage.
LAST TIME VS PITTSBURG STATE
Emporia State came back from a 14 point deficit to take a lead with under two minutes left before Pitt State pulled out a 68-67 win. The Gorillas led 42-33 lead at the half and took their biggest lead at 50-36 with 16:35 left. The Gorillas led 64-59 with 4:22 left when the Hornets went on a 6-0 run.
Alijah Comithier hit two free throws with 1:53 left to give ESU a 67-66 lead. PSU called timeout with :06.4 left to set up their final play. RJ Fortney hit a layup with 3.4 seconds left for the win. Comithier had 22 points and six rebounds while
Owen Long added 21 points.
UP NEXT
The Hornets play host to Missouri Southern on Sunday due to the Flint Hills High School Tournament in White Auditorium. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m.
DOTY MAGIC
Three-time National Champion head coach
Craig Doty is in his sixth season as head coach at Emporia State. He is 251-120 in his 12th year at the NCAA D2, NAIA and NJCAA levels, including a 128-87 mark in conference play. Doty is 138-92 as a head coach at four year schools with an 89-70 record since taking over for the Hornets.
He is 80-38 (.678) in games played in February and March with a 31-9 (.775) record in the post-season. Four of those nine post season losses were to the eventual national champion.
Doty led Rock Valley College and Graceland University to national prominence earlier in his career. In just two seasons at Graceland, Doty's program had a 49-22 record and won the 2018 NAIA Division I National Championship in the school's first trip to the national tournament at Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium. The Yellowjackets started the 2017-18 season 10-8 and ended the year winning 19 of their final 21 games. Along the way Doty earned NAIA National Coach of the Year, HoopDirt.com NAIA National Coach of the Year, and the 2018 Don Meyer Award. Doty's programs at Rock Valley College won NJCAA Division III National titles in 2014 and 2016 while his 2015 squad came up just short finishing National Runner-up.
LAST THREE YEARS
For the first time in school history Emporia State has recorded three straight years with at least a .500 record in MIAA play. Starting in 2020-21 the Hornets have gone 45-30 (.600) in MIAA play with a 64-36 (.640) overall record.
HORNETS IN THE POST SEASON
Last year was Emporia State's third trip to the NCAA Tournament in 32 years as a member of the NCAA Division II. The Hornets first NCAA Tournament game was an 85-81 loss to Drury in Stephenville, Texas on March 13, 2004. Their next appearance was a 72-66 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma on March 10, 2007. Prior to joining the NCAA, Emporia State made ten trips to Kansas City for the NAIA National Tournament and compiled a record of 13-12 with a pair of national semifinal appearances. The finished fourth in 1947 and again in 1964.
IN THE RANKINGS
Emporia State has received votes in seven National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Polls this season and were in the Top 25 the first five weeks of the season. There are a two MIAA teams in the Top 25 and three more receiving votes this week. The Hornets received votes in the final NABC National Poll last season, the 11th time the received votes in the season. Earlier ESU had a string of five straight weeks being ranked, their longest streak since a ten week span during the 2006-07 season. Last year was the first since the 2007-08 season Emporia State cracked the Top 25. The Hornets spent 22 weeks in the NABC Top 25 from 2003-08, getting as high as seventh in the nation on three different occasions.
CLOSERS
The Hornets have won 31 of their last 32 games when leading at the 5:00 minute mark of the second half. Emporia State went 21-1 last season when leading at the 5:00 mark of the second half. Part of that is due to the Hornets shooting 78.7% as a team from the free throw line in the final five minutes and overtime of games last year.
GIVE ME 20
The Hornets won 20 games in back to back seasons for the first time since 1987-90. Emporia State won 20 games for the first time since the 2007 season when they finished the year 21-8 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. This was the fourth time the Hornets have won 20 games as a member of the NCAA and the 12th time in school history. Emporia State had not won 20 games in back to back years since reaching the 20 win mark in three straight seasons from 1987-90. ESU won at least 20 games in five out of six seasons from 1985-90. Emporia State has won at least ten games in conference play 11 times over the last 33 seasons.
THREE (OR FOUR OR FIVE) TIMES 1,000
Three Hornets have scored at least 1,000 points in their NCAA Division II careers.
Alijah Comithier has scored 1,870 points in 120 total games to lead all active MIAA players.
Owen Long has scored 1,555 points in 125 total games while
Solomon Oraegbu has scored 1,328 points in 96 games.
Darius Yohe has 1,021 points in 117 games at four year institutions after scoring 956 points in 100 games at NAIA William Woods.
Drew Tennial is at 851 points in 93 career games in NCAA play.
REVOLVING DOOR
The Hornets have lost 37 player games to injury or illness this season. Peyton Rogers Schmitt has not played since injuring his knee against Kansas State in the exhibition opener,
Drew Tennial has missed ten games,
Atavian Butler missed five games,
Cael McGee has missed five games and
Owen Long has missed one game. Not counting Rogers Schmitt, since he was lost for the year in preseason, Emporia State has had their full lineup available for just three of the 17 games this season.
1500 AND COUNTING
The Hornets have won 1,502 games in their 119 years of playing basketball. They are ranked 16th in total wins among active NCAA Division II schools.
NOW A 1-2-3 PUNCH
Three Hornets are averaging at least 15.0 points per game this year with
Solomon Oraegbu at 17.9,
Alijah Comithier at 17.2 points, and
Owen Long at 15.9 points per game as all three are in the top seven of the MIAA in scoring.
Last year
Owen Long led Emporia State at 17.2 points per game and
Alijah Comithier averaged 14.6 points per game. A total of ten different Hornets scored in double figures at least once last season with nine having multiple games of at least ten points.
The duo of Tray Buchanan and Jumah'Ri Turner was the top scoring back court in the nation in 2021-22. Buchanan led the nation in scoring at 25.6 points per game while Turner averaged 19.8 to rank third in the MIAA. Their combined 45.4 points per game was the top average in NCAA Division II for a pair of guards.
HOT START
The Hornets 9-1 record after ten games matched last year's start while the nine game winning streak was the best since winning 16 straight in 2006-07. Last year the Hornets opened the season 7-0 for the first time since going 16-0 to open the 2006-07 season. It was the tenth time in 119 seasons of Emporia State basketball that the Hornets have opened the year 7-0 and the first time at least six of the wins have come against D2 teams.
CENTURY MARK
Emporia State's 100-73 win over Saint Mary marked the 104th time the Hornets have cracked the century mark in their history. They have reached 100 points eight times in 159 games under Coach Doty, matching their total for the previous eight seasons combined.
The Hornets scored at least 100 points 60 times under coach Ron Slaymaker (827 total games in 28 seasons), 26 times under David Moe (288 games in 10 seasons), five times under Shaun Vandiver (199 games in seven seasons), three times under Gus Fish (602 games in 25 seasons) and once under Marc Comstock (82 games in three seasons).
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Hornets have won 14 of their last 15 games in White Auditorium. They are 431-199 (.684) since 1979 in White Auditorium. Emporia State has won 32 of their last 39 (.821) games since the start of the 2021-22 season and 215 of their last 309 games (.696) in White Auditorium dating back to the 2002-03 season. In the last 35 years, they have twice had home court winning streaks of at least 20 games. The first was 23 games from 1985-87 followed by a school record 25 game streak from February 12, 2003-January 1, 2005. They have posted home winning seasons in 20 of the last 22 seasons.
HORNETS RANK IN NATION IN ATTENDANCE
In 14 home games last year the Hornets averaged 1,382 fans per game to rank eighth in the nation. Emporia State men's basketball fans helped the Hornets rank in the top ten in attendance among the over 300 NCAA Division II basketball playing schools last season. The #7 national ranking continued a string of 19 straight years, not counting COVID, ranking in the top 25 in attendance for Emporia State. The Hornets drew 19,627 total fans for an average of 1,402 fans to their 14 home games at Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium during the 2021-22 season to rank seventh nationally. Emporia State had a season high 2,865 for their game against Washburn on February 26 on Senior Day. Emporia State outdrew 123 NCAA Division I schools in total attendance during the 2021-22 school year including eight teams that made the NCAA Tournament. Within the Division II ranks, the Hornets outdrew 60 of the 64 teams that were selected for the NCAA Tournament, including six of the eight #1 seeds and six of the teams that made the Elite Eight.
REGIONALLY SPEAKING
The NCAA Central Region is made up of teams in the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conferences. The MIAA is 19-10 against the region with a 7-9 record against the NSIC and 12-1 against the GAC.
Emporia State was one of three MIAA teams in the regional field last year, tying the NSIC for the most representatives. The MIAA went 71-36 (.664) mark in non-conference competition and every team in the Association had an opponents winning percentage of over .500 on the season. The NSIC was 77-40 (.658) and the GAC went 50-37 (.575) against outside competition.
LISTEN & WATCH LIVE
Video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season home games are available on a pay per view basis from the MIAA Network. Content is available live and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event at www.themiaanetwork.com. Audio of all Emporia State games are available on KFFX 104.9FM and at www.kvoe.com with Blake Cripps in his first year on the call. KFFX is in their 36th straight year as the radio home of Hornet Athletics, the longest active streak between a commercial station and an MIAA school. All games will also be available on the internet at www.kvoe.com/listen.
TURNING PRO
Emporia State's Tray Buchanan and Brenden Van Dyke both signed professional contracts following the 2021-22 season, giving the Hornets six professional players in the last four seasons. Buchanan signed with AEL-Limassol in Limassol, Cyprus while Van Dyke signed with CD Agulia San Miguel in El Salvador
Julius Jackson became the fourth Hornet men's basketball player to sign professionally following the 2018-19 season when he signed a professional contract with Raiders Basket Jarvenpaa in Finland. Hassan Thomas signed with Sampaense Basket of Portugal Proliga while Malik Hluchoweckyj signed with KK Bratunac of the Bosnia BiH Liga also signed pro contracts overseas while Kooper Glick played with the Washington Generals - the regular opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters. It is the first time in school history the Hornets had four players from the same class sign to play professionally in the same year.
ON THE COURT
The court at William L. White Auditorium was formally named Ron Slaymaker Court at half-time of the Hornets win over Washburn on Feb. 28, 2014 after the City of Emporia approved a proclamation at their Feb. 20, 2014 city commission meeting.
AND IN THE RAFTERS
•Dale Cushinberry (1966-69) - Cushinberry was an All-American for Emporia State and became the first Hornet with 1,000 points and 700 rebounds.
•Wilbur Reeser (1944-48) - Reeser was named an NAIB All-American and was the Hornets leading scorer as the won a conference championship in 1948.
•Ron Slaymaker (Player 1954-60, Coach 1970-98) - As a player Slaymaker was named All-Conference and All-American during the 1957-58 season. As a coach he won an ESU leading 462 games from 1970-98.
•Jim Fraley (1956-60) - Fraley was the school's all-time leading scorer (1,509) until Brian Robinson broke his record in 1985. He was named Second-team NAIA All-American.
•Doug Glaysher (1960-64) - Glaysher was named an All-American after leading the Hornets to the NAIA National Semi-finals in 1964. He graduated as the second leading scorer in ESU history.
•Brian Robinson (1984-86) - Robinson was named a first team All-American in both his junior and senior season. He is the ESU all-time leading scorer with 2,533 career points.
HOW DO YOU SAY THAT:
2
Alijah Comithier: Ah-lie-zha Com-a-thear (rhymes with fear)
7
Solomon Oraegbu: Oh-ray-boo
10
Atavian Butler: Ah-tave-ian
13
Drew Tennial: Ta-kneel
22
Darius Yohe: Yo-he
