Saturday Night Special for Lady Hornets Against Neb.-Kearney

Women's Basketball | 1/10/2025 4:15:00 PM

GAME 15
Emporia State (7-7, 2-3 MIAA) vs. NEb.-Kearney (10-3, 3-1 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 • 5:30 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • WL White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU leads 35-17 Last Meeting: at UNK 68, ESU 64 (1/25/2024)
Radio: Hornet Sports Network KFFX-FM (104.9)/1490AM Topeka/103.7FM Kansas City 
Internet Audio: kvoe.com | Television: None | Internet Video: The MIAA Network
Live Stats | Ticket Info | Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Washburn • Wednesday, Jan. 15 • 5:30 PM • Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
The Lady Hornets play host to the Lopers of Neb.-Kearney in a rare Saturday night game at White Auditorium.

LAST TIME OUT
The Lady Hornets was in the contest for 32 minutes before a 12-0 run gave #7 Fort Hays State a cushion on the way to an 87-65 Tiger victory. Emporia State used a 16-3 run in the second quarter to take a 38-37 lead before FHSU hit a shot near the buzzer to take a one point lead into the half. ESU trailed 62-57 with 7:42 left in the game when the Tigers hit five in a row during their 12-0 run to take control. 

ABOUT THE COACHES
Brian Ostermann is 21-23 in his second season as the head coach of the Lady Hornets. This is his 36th 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 nine years at K-State, to go with 20 years at the NCAA D-II and junior college levels. He was 178-107 in nine years as a junior college men's head coach prior to moving to the women's game. He is 0-1 against UNK.
Drew Johnson is 29-14 in his second year at Neb.-Kearney and 106-110 overall in his eighth year as a head coach. He is 1-0 against Emporia State as the Lopers head coach but he is 2-4 all-time against the Lady Hornets, going 1-3 with Newman.

UP NEXT
The Lady Hornets make the return trip to Washburn on Wednesday, January 15. Tip-off from Lee Arena in Topeka is set for 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State is 7-7, 2-3 in the MIAA. Katie Horyna is fourth in the MIAA in scoring and fifth in assists.  Gracie Gilpin is fourth in the league in made three-pointers and seventh in three-point percentage.  As a team Emporia State is fourth in the MIAA in made three-pointers and fifth in rebounding.

ABOUT THE LOPERS
Neb.-Kearney is 10-3, 3-1 in the MIAA and have won six of their last seven. They are leading the MIAA in scoring defense at 54.2 points per game and scoring margin at 21.9 points per game while ranking second in scoring offense at 76.1 points per game. If you take out the three non-NCAA Division II teams they are averaging 68.1 points scored and 60.1 points allowed. 

SERIES HISTORY
The Lady Hornets lead the overall series 35-17 but the Lopers have won the last four contests. 

LAST TIME VS NEB.-KEARNEY
The Lady Hornets were outscored 11-5 in the final 1:36 of a 68-64 loss at Neb.-Kearney. An 11-5 run to start the second half gave the Lady Hornets a 42-35 lead with 7:27 left in the third period. There were four lead changes over the first 4:34 of the fourth with Gracie Gilpin giving the Lady Hornets a 59-57 lead with 5:26 left.  Neither team would score until Samantha Moore hit a three to give UNK a 60-59 lead with 1:36 left. The Lopers went eight of eight from the free throw line in the final 42 seconds to ice the win. Gilpin and Katie Horyna each scored 16 points while Faith Paramore scored 14 points with eight rebounds and eight assists.

FRESHMEN PHENOMS
For the first time the NCAA era the Lady Hornets started four freshmen in back to back games while seven freshmen have seen action for the Lady Hornets this year. 
Makenzie McDaniel has nine starts and is averaging 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Her 11 points and 11 rebounds against Northwest Missouri is the first double-double in MIAA play by a Lady Hornet true freshman since Emily Weathers had 11 points and ten rebounds against Pittsburg State January 14, 2021. She is the first Lady Hornet freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Merissa Quick recorded six double-doubles in 2011-12. Her 15 rebounds against Bellevue are the most by a Lady Hornet regardless of division or class since Tyra Jones had 17 at Southwest Baptist on February 15, 2018 and the most by a true freshman since Michelle Stueve had 16 against McPherson on November 30, 2004. 
Jayla Cornelius has played in all 14 games with two starts and is averaging 9.1 points per game. She is the first Lady Hornet to score at least 20 points and dish at least ten assists in a single game in her true freshman year. Her 23 points at Missouri Western were the most by Lady Hornet true freshman since Ehlaina Hartman scored 26 against Lincoln on February 13, 2021. Her ten assists are the most by a Lady Hornet freshman since Jamie Blakely had 12 against Fort Hays State on December 2, 1999. 
Janiyah Alvarez has played in 11 games with seven starts and is averaging 5.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Her 12 boards at Missouri Western were the most by a Lady Hornet freshman in an MIAA game since Merissa Quick had 12 at Pittsburg State on February 15, 2012. 
Elizabeth Tjaden has started 13 games and is averaging 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She has reached double figures in three games. 
Addie Kirmer has played in seven games, Aaliyah Smith has seen action in six contests, while Kaylin Noonan has been in five games.
 
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.  

BRING IT ON    
The Lady Hornets are 89-70 (.560) against WBCA Top 25 teams since 1997-98.  Emporia State is 35-19 (.648) in neutral site games with top 25 foes since 1997. The Lady Hornets are 33-18 (.647) in White Auditorium against Top 25 teams since 1997. Emporia State has 37 wins against Top 10 teams, including four victories against #1 ranked teams in the last eight seasons.  The Lady Hornets have at least one Top 25 win in each of the last two seasons after going three years without a win over a nationally ranked team from December of 2019 until January of 2024.

HOME COOKIN'
The Lady Hornets have won 343 of the last 396 (.866) games in White Auditorium. Emporia State has only lost 28 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. The Lady Hornets are 489-121 (.802) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. Emporia State is 14-10 (.583) against top ten teams in White Auditorium since 1995. 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.  

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 331-5 (.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 have had at least 1,100 fans in five home games this year. They averaged 923 fans per game last season, the 26th straight year (not counting COVID) they have ranked in the top 16 nationally in attendance.
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. 

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 48-20 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 sixth all-time and fifth among active Division II schools. 

RANKINGS
Two MIAA teams are currently ranked in the Top 25 of the WBCA National Poll. 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.  

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. 

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.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Lady Hornets are 315-149 (.679) away from home, 108-35 (.755) in neutral site games and 65-17 (.793) 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 52-52 (.500) away from White Auditorium against Top 25 teams. The Lady Hornets are 167-90 (.650) on the road in MIAA league play since 1997-98. Emporia State is 37-17 (.685) in NCAA Tournament games away from White Auditorium. 

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.

LISTEN & WATCH LIVE
Audio of all Emporia State games are available on the Hornet Sports Network across Northeast Kansas and into Missouri. Flagship station KFFX 104.9FM is joined by SportsRadio 1490AM in Topeka and 103.7FM in Kansas City as the Voice of the Hornets Blake Cripps calls the action. Audio is also available on kvoe.com and the Audacy app. KFFX is in their 37th straight year as the radio home of Hornet Athletics, the longest active streak between a commercial station and an MIAA school.
Video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season games are available on a pay per view basis from the MIAA Digital Network. The MIAA Network content is available live and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event.  Fans can find the action on www.themiaanetwork.com and on The MIAA Network apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
The MIAA has entered into an agreement with Scripps Media and their independent television station KMCI, serving the Kansas City metropolitan area on 38 The Spot, to continue its MIAA TV Game of the Week broadcasts throughout the 2025 NCAA Division II basketball season. Beginning with men's Turnpike Tussle January 4 in White Auditorium, 38 The Spot will broadcast NCAA Division II men's and women's basketball games from nine different MIAA campuses in January and February. The Lady Hornets will be a part of the package on February 22 at Newman. The broadcast schedule will wrap up with the live broadcast of the MIAA men's and women's championship games from the 2025 basketball tournament at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City on March 9.

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.

LADY HORNET SUCCESS ON THE COURT...
The Lady Hornets have the best record in MIAA play in the 21st century. Emporia State is 350-138 (.717) in MIAA play since the 2000 season and 590-202 (.745) 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 413-140 (.747) in MIAA play and 653-206 (.760) 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 27 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 3.63 in the fall. Amaya Blake, Jayla Cornelius, Addie Kirmer, Kaylin Noonan and Allie Ostermann all had 4.00 GPAs in the fall semester. 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. 

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 17 tries. The first eight years of the streak were in the South Central Region. The 2023 season 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, Fort Hays State losing 70-69 to Missouri Western in 2022 and Minnesota State knocking off Southern Nazarene 80-48 last season. 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 two MIAA team ranked in this week's 2025 WBCA Top 25 - both in the top ten -  and one receiving votes, with two NSIC teams ranked with one receiving votes and no GAC teams represented in the Top 25.
So far this year the MIAA is 29-22 against the rest of the region.  The MIAA leads the NSIC 15-9 and has gone 14-13 against the GAC. The MIAA is 85-48 (.639) overall against outside competition this season while the GAC is 42-25 (.627) and the NSIC is 46-37 (.554). 
The MIAA went 23-19 against the rest of the region last season, going 14-6 against the NSIC and 9-12 against the GAC. Overall the MIAA was 63-26 against outside competition.

INJURY/ROSTER UPDATE
The Lady Hornets have three players that will miss the rest of the season due to injuries.  Tylieea Wallace is out for the season after knee surgery prior to the start of the year.  Kenadi Rising will miss the remainder of the season after surgery following an injury to her lower leg suffered earlier in the season. Amaya Blake will miss the remainder of the season due to a foot injury suffered earlier in the season.   Makenzie McDaniel injured her ankle at Fort Hays State and is day to day.

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 1,015-467 (.685) overall in their 51st 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 23 MIAA MVPs, seven of the last 20 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 28 straight trips to the MIAA Tournament.
• The Lady Hornets have had at least one player earn Third-Team All-MIAA or higher for 22 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the MIAA.

END GAME
The Lady Hornets are 620-25 (.961) since 1997 when leading at the 5:00 mark.