January 3, 2024-Emporia State put four players in double figures on the way to a 100-73 win over Newman on Wednesday night in White Auditorium, highlighted by the second triple double by a Hornet in two games.
Emporia State scored the first six points and never trailed in the contest. The Hornets used a 10-2 run to go up 41-27 with 4:59 left in the half. The Jets went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits at 41-33 with 4:23 remaining. Emporia State ended the half on a 14-3 run to take a 55-36 lead to the locker rooms.
The Hornets shot .588 from the field in the opening 20 minutes with a seven of 15 effort from beyond the arc as they scored their most first half points of the season.
Solomon Oraegbu had 17 first half points while
Alijah Comithier scored 15 with six rebounds and
Owen Long chipped in 13 points.
Buckets by
Kaden Evans and Oraegbu after the intermission made it an 18-3 run as the Hornets took a 59-36 lead with less than a minute into the second half. The Jets would chip away and got back within 68-52 with 13:31 left before Emporia State went on an 18-4 run to take a 30 point lead with 6:09 left.Â
With 4:32 left Comithier grabbed his tenth rebound and hit
Darius Yohe in the corner for a three-pointer to register his ninth assist and give the Hornets their biggest lead of the night at 94-62 with 4:18 left. Comithier found Oraegbu crashing the lane with 1:33 left for his tenth assist to complete the triple double.
Tyreek Robinson converted an old fashioned three point play with 1:02 left to get the Hornets to 100 points before Newman scored the final five points to make the final score 100-73.
Alijah Comithier finished with 22 points, ten rebounds and ten assists for the Hornets second triple double in two games.Â
Solomon Oraegbu had an ESU career high 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting while
Kaden Evans scored 18 points with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Owen Long rounded out the double figure scorers for Emporia State with 13 points.
The Hornets are back in action on Saturday, January 6 when they play host to #12 Central Oklahoma. Tip-off from White Auditorium is set for 3:30 p.m. It will be the first time Emporia State has played host to a Top 25 team since they defeated then #1 Northwest Missouri 74-65 on December 17, 2022.
NOTES
After not recording a triple double in the first 32 years in the MIAA, Emporia State has now had triple doubles in back to back games after
Darius Yohe went for 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks against Friends on December 30.
The Hornets scored 100 points for the 104
th time in school history and the first time since a 110-66 win over St. Mary on November 29, 2022.
The Hornets 11 game home court winning streak is the longest active streak in the MIAA and seventh longest active streak in NCAA Division II.
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