December 7, 2024 - The Lady Hornets fell on Saturday night against Missouri Western despite a career-high from
Jayla Cornelius. Emporia State shot just 34% from the floor and trailed for all but 56 seconds in the game.
The game got started with the Griffons and Lady Hornets trading baskets, as
Janiyah Alvarez knocked down a three to give Emporia State a 3-2 advantage in the opening minute. Following the Alvarez three, Missouri Western put together an 18-5 scoring run, building a 20-8 lead over the Lady Hornets at the 3:25 mark of the first quarter. The Lady Hornets closed the quarter with a 9-1 scoring run, capped by an Alvarez layup as Emporia State entered the second quarter trailing 21-17.
In the second, the offense picked up for both teams, as Emporia State shot 8-16 while the Griffons went 8-15 throughout the second period. The Lady Hornets were unable to close the gap from four points, but still entered the halftime break trailing by five, as
Jayla Cornelius and
Allie Ostermann each made a three in the final 90 seconds.
After the halftime break, Emporia State struggled offensively, and the Griffons used this to their advantage, outscoring the Lady Hornets 16-6 in the third. The lead for Missouri Western swelled to 58-43 heading to the fourth.
The Lady Hornets got off to a strong start in the final period, outscoring the Griffons 11-4 over the first three and a half minutes, which closed the gap to 62-54. Over the final six minutes, Missouri Western staved off the Emporia State comeback, as the Lady Hornets were unable to cut the deficit below eight points, eventually falling 80-66 in their first road MIAA matchup of the season.
Jayla Cornelius led the Lady Hornets with a career-high 23 points, shooting 9-15 from the floor.
Katie Horyna joined Cornelius in double-figures with 17 points of her own, including 7-10 from the free throw line.
Janiyah Alvarez had eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds, her first career game with double-digit rebounds.
Emporia State will be back in action on Tuesday, December 17 as they host Bellevue. Tip off between the Lady Hornets and Bruins is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from White Auditorium.
