Trip to Neb.-Kearney starts western swing for Lady Hornets

Women's Basketball | 1/24/2024 9:41:00 AM

Game #18
Emporia State Lady Hornets (9-8, 6-5 MIAA)
at Neb.-Kearney Lopers (12-5, 6-5 MIAA)
Thursday, January 25 • 5:30 p.m. • Kearney, Neb. • Health & Sports Center
Series Record: ESU leads 35-16 Last Meeting: #16 UNK 86, at ESU 54 (1/18/2023)
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: at #19 Fort Hays State • Saturday, January 27 • 2:00 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Coliseum

WESTERN SWING
The Lady Hornets travel to Neb.-Kearney for their only meeting with the Lopers this season. Emporia State and Neb.-Kearney are two of four teams entering the week tied for sixth in the MIAA at 6-5.

LAST TIME OUT
The Lady Hornets were held to their lowest offensive output since 2012 in a 76-43 loss to Missouri Southern. Emporia State trailed 22-19 after the first quarter after hitting five of nine three-pointers. The Lions outscored ESU 15-5 in the second quarter to take a 37-24 lead to the half. The Lady Hornets were still within 14 with just over a minute left in the third when Southern went on a 9-0 run in 40 seconds to take a 59-36 lead.  ESU would score just six points in the fourth quarter. Faith Paramore had 20 points and 11 rebounds but was the only Lady Hornet to score more than five points.
 
THE COACHES
Brian Ostermann is 9-8 in his first season as the head coach of the Lady Hornets. This is his first women's basketball head coaching position but is in his 35th season as a collegiate coach with a history record of success at all levels of the collegiate game.  He has 15 years of NCAA Division I experience, with the last nine years at K-State, to go with 20 years at the NCAA Division II and junior college levels. He was 178-107 in nine years as a junior college men's head coach prior to transitioning to the women's game. This will be his first meeting with Neb.-Kearney.
Drew Johnson is 12-5 in his first year at Neb.-Kearney and 89-10 overall in his seventh year as a head coach. This is his first meeting with Emporia State as the Lopers head coach but he is 1-4 all-time against the Lady Hornets, going 1-3 with Newman.

ABOUT THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State is 9-8, 6-5 in the MIAA. Faith Paramore is ninth in the MIAA in scoring and fourth in rebounding. Gracie Gilpin is second in the league in made three-pointers. Queen Ulabo is third in the MIAA in rebounding. 

ABOUT THE LOPERS
Neb.-Kearney is 12-5. 6-5 in the MIAA. They lead the MIAA in three-point percentage and rebound margin. Shiloh McCool is second in the MIAA in rebounding.

SERIES HISTORY
The Lady Hornets lead the overall series 35-16 and the two have split the last ten games. 

LAST MEETING WITH NEB.-KEARNEY
Going against the top ranked scoring defense in the nation, the shooting woes continued for Emporia State as they connected on just 21 of 66 shots from the field in an 86-54 loss to #16 Neb.-Kearney.  The Lady Hornets got an early boost with the return of Tre'Zure Jobe to the lineup. Jobe and Ehlaina Hartman each hit three-pointers in the first 2:34 to give ESU a 6-2 lead.  Emporia State led 10-6 on a Jobe jumper with 5:09 left in the first when UNK went on a 10-3 run to take the lead. The Lady Hornets trailed 23-22 with 6:57 left in the half but the Lopers closed the half on a 20-4 run to take a 43-26 lead into the break. The run would reach 24-4 as UNK scored the first four points of the second half. A Kylee Scheer three brought the Lady Hornets back within 15 at the 5:00 mark of the third but the Lopers responded with a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Hornets travel to #19 Fort Hays State on Saturday, January 27. Tip-off at Gross Coliseum in Hays, Kan. is set for 2:00 p.m.

O YEAH
Brian Ostermann was formally introduced as the eighth head coach in Lady Hornet history on May 2, 2023. Ostermann is in his 35th season as a collegiate coach with a record of success at all levels of the collegiate game.  As the Associate Head Coach at Kansas State, Ostermann was responsible for scheduling, academic mentoring, recruiting evaluation and game plan preparation and development.  K-State made seven post season appearances in his nine years, including four NCAA Tournament appearances. Prior to his time at K-State, Ostermann served as the Associate Head Coach at Texas Christian University from 2008-14.  The Horned Frogs went 107-81 during his six seasons in Fort Worth with two NCAA and two WNIT berths. He made the transition to the women's game at TCU following a nine year career as a head men's basketball coach at the junior college level.  He was 83-46 in four seasons from 2004-08 at Missouri State-West Plains.  His first head coaching position was at Jayhawk Conference member Colby CC from 1999-2004. He was 95-61 in his five seasons in western Kansas with a 50-14 record over his final two years and were ranked as high as #2 in the nation in 2004. Ostermann's coaching roots are in the MIAA.  He started out as a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri from 1989-91. After a season at PSAC member Mercyhurst College he returned to the MIAA as an assistant coach for both the men and women at Missouri Western.  He was in St. Joseph from 1992-96 before moving to UMKC for three seasons.

FIRST YEAR TOP 25 WINS
The Lady Hornets 71-59 win over then #25 Pittsburg State made Brian Ostermann the fourth straight Lady Hornet coach to get a Top 25 win in their first season at Emporia State.  The win came in Ostermann's 16th game as a the head coach, making him the third fastest Lady Hornet coach to record a Top 25 win.  Brandon Schneider and Toby Wynn both got wins in their first contest with Schneider picking up an 89-57 win over then #12 Neb.-Kearney on November 14, 1998 while Wynn recorded a 68-60 neutral site win over then #20 Southwestern Oklahoma on November 9, 2018.  Collins got his first Top 25 win in his 25th game, a 61-59 overtime win at then #15 Washburn on February 23, 2011.  

HOME COOKIN'
The Lady Hornets have won 336 of the last 384 (.875) games in White Auditorium. They are undefeated in postseason games in White Auditorium with a 15-0 record in MIAA Tournament play and a 6-0 record in the NCAA Tournament.  Emporia State has only lost 22 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. The Lady Hornets are 483-116 (.806) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. Emporia State is 13-10 (.565) against top ten teams in White Auditorium since 1995.

GAME OF RUNS
The Lady Hornets have recorded 11 runs of 10-0 or better this year. ESU had three runs of at least 10-0 against Avila including a 23-0 run in the second quarter. They had 14 scoring runs of 10-0 or better last year. Emporia State had 18 runs of 10-0 or greater in 2021-22, including a 24-0 run against Bethel. In 2020-21 they had 21 runs of 10-0 or greater. 

BY THE NUMBERS
The Lady Hornets have topped the 100-point mark 76 times and have eclipsed the 110 point mark 30 times in their history. Since 1997-98, the Lady Hornets are 328-5 (.985) when scoring at least 80 points after going 167-22 (.884) in the previous 23 seasons when scoring at least 80 points. Conversely Emporia State is 174-2 (.989) all-time when holding opponents to 50 points or less. 

HERE THEY COME
The Lady Hornets drew 1,863 to their home opener against Northwest Missouri last season. It was the largest home opening crowd since the 2014-15 season.  For the season they averaged 1,090 fans per game, the 25th straight year (not counting COVID) they have ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance with at least 1,000 fans per game.
Emporia State played in front of an NCAA Division II season high 6,455 in the 2020 MIAA Tournament Championship game in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.  Prior to the pandemic the Lady Hornets had played in front of at least 1,000 fans in White Auditorium in 305 of their previous 306 games.  The Lady Hornets national championship game drew a standing room only crowd of 3,405 to the St. Joseph Civic Arena in 2010. The Lady Hornets averaged a school record 2,684 fans in 2005-06 to finish third in the nation and led the nation with an average attendance of 2,348 fans in 2004-05. 

MARCH MEANS SOMETHING
The Lady Hornets are 43-17 (.717) in their last 60 March post season games. Emporia State has made it to the championship game in 16 of the last 24 post season tournaments they have played in under three different coaches, appearing in eight MIAA Tournament, seven NCAA Regional Tournament Championship games and the 2010 National Championship game, while making the semifinals at the Elite Eight in 2015. Emporia State is 87-39 (.690) all-time in MIAA and NCAA Tournament games with a 40-20 (.667) record in the NCAA Tourney.
 
TIGHT KNIT AT THE TOP
At the halfway point of MIAA play, only two games separate the second through ninth teams in the conference standings. The top ten teams advance to Kansas City for the MIAA Tournament. 

MIAA TOURNEY EXCELLENCE
Emporia State won an unprecedented five straight MIAA Tournament Championships and an MIAA record 16 straight games in tournament play from 2013-2018. They are the first team to have two different streaks of at least four straight tournament championships. The Lady Hornets won four straight championships from 1998-2001 and were in seven straight title games between 2011 and 2017 with championships in the final five tournaments of that run. Emporia State is 47-18 all-time in MIAA Tournament play with a 15-0 record in White Auditorium. 

MARCH MADNESS
The Lady Hornets qualified for 22 NCAA Tournaments since first becoming eligible for it in 1992. They rank eighth all-time in NCAA Division II tournament appearances and their 19 trips are the most in the 21st century.  Emporia State has won 40 NCAA Tournament games to rank fifth all-time and fourth among active Division II schools. 

ALL-TIME ALL-MIAA TOURNAMENT TEAM
Lady Hornets Emily Bloss, Tara Holloway and Jurgita Kausaite were named to the ten person All-Time All-MIAA Tournament Team by a panel of past and current sports information directors and media members prior to the 2007 Tournament. Bloss averaged 17 points in her twelve tournament games, including a tournament record 76 points as a senior. Holloway scored 151 points in her career. Kausaite scored 120 points in six tournament games. 

NEWBIES
A total of seven Lady Hornets have been named MIAA Freshman of the Year. Tre'Zure Jobe became just the sixth freshman to earn All-Tournament honors at the 2020 MIAA Tournament.  Five of the six freshmen honorees have been Lady Hornets as she joins Lindenwood's Lindsay Medlen (2017) and Lady Hornets Kelly Moten (2014), Kelsey Balcom (2011), Michelle Stueve (2005), and Casey Henningsen (2004) in earning all-tourney honors in their first year. 

RANKINGS
Two MIAA teams are currently ranked in the WBCA Top 25 with one more receiving votes. Emporia State was ranked #25 in the February 9, 2021 poll, marking the 24th consecutive season the Lady Hornets had been in ranked in the Top 25 of the WBCA Poll during a season. The Lady Hornets have been in the Coaches Top 25 a total of 284 weeks since first appearing in the 1997-98 preseason poll and have been in the top ten for a WBCA Division II record 190 weeks.  

BRING IT ON    
The Lady Hornets are 88-68 (.564) against WBCA Top 25 teams since 1997-98.  Emporia State is 35-18 (.660) in neutral site games with top 25 foes since 1997. The Lady Hornets are 32-18 (.640) in White Auditorium against Top 25 teams since 1997. Emporia State has 36 wins against Top 10 teams, including four victories against #1 ranked teams in the last eight seasons. 

SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
The Lady Hornets are 20-6 all-time when playing as the #1 team in the nation. Emporia State first earned a #1 national ranking by the WBCA in 2004-05, next in 2006-07, again after winning the 2009-10 national championship, they opened 2015-16 and held onto the spot through their first seven games and they were in the top spot for four games in 2016-17. The Lady Hornets have won 20 games in 22 of the last 25 seasons. Emporia State has made the NCAA Tournament 22 times in the last 25 years and their 40-20 record in the tourney is ranked fourth among active Division II schools in total tournament wins. Emporia State has made six Elite Eight trips, the most of any team since 1997. The Lady Hornets won their first national championship in 2010, 12 years after making their first appearance in the national title game and they have advanced to four Final Fours since 1998. 
The Lady Hornets have won seven MIAA regular season championships and nine MIAA Tournament titles. Emporia State has appeared in 15 of the last 25 MIAA Tournament Championship games and have made it to the semifinals in 22 of the last 26 seasons.

TAKING ON THE BEST
In their history the Lady Hornets have won three contests against teams that were defending national champions at the time.  Emporia State defeated the 2018 national champion Jennies 65-62 on Feb. 9, 2019; they defeated the 2016 national champions Lubbock Christian 60-50 on Dec. 3, 2016 in the first ever regular season match-up between a #1 ranked team and a defending national champion in White Auditorium history; and they ended then #1 ranked and 2005 national champion Washburn's 51 game winning streak with a 61-59 win in overtime of the regional championship game on March 13, 2006 in Topeka. 

LADY HORNETS NCAA HISTORY
The Lady Hornets have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times in the last 26 years and their 40-20 record in the tourney is ranked fourth all-time among active Division II schools in total tourney wins. Emporia State won the 2010 National Championship, were national runners-up in 1998, advanced to the Final Four in 1999 and 2015, and were also in the Elite Eight in 2000 and 2006. They have been to the regional final 14 times.

ON THE AIR
The Lady Hornets have been on national television five times in the last 20 years. They are 3-2 after their loss in the Final Four on the CBS Sports Network in 2015. They defeated Ft. Lewis 65-53 in the national championship game on ESPN2 in 2010. Emporia State's 97-94 overtime victory over then #1 Gannon was shown on ESPNU. The Lady Hornets 74-67 victory over Washburn in 2007 was televised nation wide on CSTV. It was the first time a basketball game was televised nationally from White Auditorium and the first time an MIAA regular season basketball game, men or women, had been telecast nationwide. The Lady Hornets national championship game against North Dakota in 1998 was seen on ESPN. The Turnpike Tussle game against Washburn in White Auditorium on Jan. 15, 2011 was the featured game on MIAA Broadcasting Network.

LADY HORNET SUCCESS ON THE COURT...
The Lady Hornets have the best record in MIAA play in the 21st century. Emporia State is 344-128 (.729) in MIAA play since the 2000 season and 578-187 (.756) overall in that time. The Lady Hornets are even better if you add two more years to the equation. Since the 1997-98 season, Emporia State is 407-129 (.759) in MIAA play and 641-191 (.770) overall. The Lady Hornets have been ranked in the top ten of the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll 190 times, the most of any NCAA Division II school.  Emporia State has been to 22 NCAA Tournaments, made the Regional Championship or "Sweet 16" 14 times, has made six trips to the Elite Eight, four to the Final Four, two national title game appearances and won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship. The Lady Hornets have won seven MIAA Regular season and nine Tournament Championships and are the only team to win four straight undisputed (untied regular season and tournament) MIAA Championships pulling the trick from 1998-2001. They have been in 15 of the last 26 MIAA Tournament championship games, made it to the semifinals in 22 of the last 27 MIAA Tournaments and won nine tourney titles.

...AND IN THE CLASSROOM
The Lady Hornets had a combined GPA of 3.48 in the fall with Allie Ostermann and Faith Paramore both posting 4.00 GPAs. Tre'Zure Jobe and Kylee Scheer were named CSC Academic All-District performers last season. Emporia State sat atop the 2016-17 Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Academic Top 25 list. The Lady Hornets had a school record 3.744 team GPA during the 2016-17 academic year. Lady Hornets have been honored as Academic All-Americans four times since joining the NCAA. Michelle Stueve was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second-team in 2007-08 and was a three-time Academic All-District VII performer. Emily Bloss was a three-time Academic All-American and was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2001.

TRIFECTA
Emporia State is the first program in NCAA Division II history to lead the nation in attendance (2005), win a national championship (2010), and be honored with the top GPA in the nation (2017) in the WBCA Academic Top 25 list. 

LET'S HANG SOME MORE
Aneta Kausaite, Jurgita Kausaite, Tara Holloway-Churchill, Emily Bloss-Carpenter, Michelle Stueve-Corpening, Cassondra Boston and Alli Volkens have their jerseys retired in White Auditorium for earning first or second team All-American honors, graduating and playing at least two years at ESU. 

ROAD WARRIORS
The Lady Hornets are 310-139 (.690) away from home, 106-33 (.763) in neutral site games and 64-16 (.800) against non-MIAA teams at neutral sites since 1997-98 with five of the losses in the Elite Eight. The Lady Hornets have gone on the road to defeat the #1 ranked team in the nation twice in regional tournaments and have eliminated the host team in six regionals. Emporia State is 52-49 (.515) away from White Auditorium against Top 25 teams. The Lady Hornets are 165-83 (.665) on the road in MIAA league play since 1997-98. Emporia State is 37-17 (.685) in NCAA Tournament games away from White Auditorium. 

NOT SUCH A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The host team for the NCAA Regional the Lady Hornets compete in has won the tournament only four times in the last 16 tries. The first eight years of the streak were in the South Central Region. Last year was just the ninth time the host team has advanced to the regional final in the last 14 years with Washburn falling to Emporia State in 2006 in Lee Arena, West Texas A&M defeating Central Oklahoma in 2009 in Canyon, Texas, Ft. Hays State falling to Emporia State in 2014 in Hays, Pittsburg State defeating Emporia State in 2017 in Pittsburg, Central Missouri defeating Augustana in 2018 in Sioux Falls, S.D., Ft. Hays State losing to Southwestern Oklahoma in Hays in 2019, Central Missouri defeating Neb.-Kearney in 2021, and Fort Hays State losing 70-69 to Missouri Western in 2022. The Lady Hornets have eliminated the host school six times since 2004.

TOUGH ENOUGH
The NCAA Central Region is made up of teams in the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conferences. There are three MIAA teams ranked in the latest WBCA Top 25 with three GAC and no NSIC teams represented while the MIAA and NSIC each have a team receiving votes.
The MIAA is 23-16 against the rest of the region this season, going 14-4 against the NSIC and 9-11 against the GAC. Overall the MIAA is 63-23 against outside competition.
Last year half of the eight team field in the regional tournament was made up of MIAA teams while the NSIC had three and the GAC one. The MIAA went 22-14 (.611) against the rest of the region last year, going 12-4 (.750) against the GAC and 10-10 (.500) against the NSIC. The NSIC won all five matchups with the GAC. In all games played the MIAA went 63-25 (.716) against non-conference competition while playing the toughest combined schedule in the nation.

TIP-INS
• The Lady Hornets have won 20 games 22 times in the last 26 years and 27 times in school history.
• The Lady Hornets have won 25 games 13 times in school history.
• The Lady Hornets have won 30 games four times in school history.
• The Lady Hornets are 1,003-452 (.689) overall in their 50th year of action and were the eighth NCAA Division II program to reach 1,000 wins.
• The Lady Hornets are the only team to appear in the NCAA top twenty season records for scoring offense (17th - 90.0 in 1998; 8th - 91.3 in 1999; 18th - 89.9 in 2000) and scoring defense (20th - 50.6 in 2001).
• The Lady Hornets have had 11 of the last 22 MIAA MVPs, seven of the last 19 Freshmen of the Year and have won four MIAA Defensive Player of the Year awards since 2011-12. 

STREAKS AND SUCH
• The Lady Hornets 62 game home court winning streak from Feb. 27, 1997 through Jan. 13, 2001 is an MIAA record and the fifth longest in NCAA Division II history.
• The Lady Hornets ended the then longest winning streak in NCAA Division II history (51 games) with their 61-59 overtime victory over Washburn on March 13, 2006 in the South Central Regional final and the longest single season winning streak (37 games) with their 97-94 overtime victory over Gannon on March 24, 2010 in the national semifinals. 
• The Lady Hornets have defeated the host team in their regional six times in the last 17 years (at Ft. Hays State 66-61 in 2015; at Washburn 65-58 in 2013; at Washburn 71-65 in 2012; at West Texas A&M 76-69 in 2010; at Washburn in 2006; and at Drury in 2005).
• Emporia State is 2-1 against teams on a 30 game winning streak in the NCAA Tournament. They snapped Gannon's 37 game winning streak in the 2010 national semifinals and Washburn's 32 game in-season streak in the 2006 South Central Regional finals. ESU lost to eventual national runner-up Southwestern Oklahoma 71-65 in the first round of the 2019 Central Regional.
• The Lady Hornets have made 27 straight trips to the MIAA Tournament.

END GAME
The Lady Hornets are 608-23 (.964) since 1997 when leading at the 5:00 mark.