Men's Basketball | 12/16/2025 3:08:00 PM

GAME 10
Emporia State (3-6, 0-2 MIAA) vs. Sterling (7-6, 4-3 KCAC)
Wednesday, December 17 • 7:30 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • WL White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU leads 10-1 • Last Meeting: at ESU 86, Sterling 63 (Dec. 17, 2024)
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM 
Internet Audio: kvoe.com | Television: None | Internet Video: The MIAA Network
Live Stats | Ticket Info | Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: at Rockhurst • 2:00 p.m. • December 20 • Kansas City, Mo. • Mason Halpin Fieldhouse

WRAPPING UP 2025 
Emporia State plays their final home game of 2025 as they play host to Sterling.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 3-6, 0-2 in the MIAA. The Hornets have scored at least 70 points in eight of nine games this season. Nine different players have scored in double figures this season. Andrew Pengel is the top scorer at 15.3 points per game. Chris Harris adds 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds. Trey Redd is averaging 4.9 assists per game.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS
Sterling is 7-6, 4-3 in the KCAC. Julian Smith is their leading scorer at 17.2 points per game while Ziri Blackwood adds 11.6 points per game off the bench. Joseph Oparaeke is their leading rebounder at 6.2 boards per game.

ABOUT THE COACHES
Tom Billeter is 504-298 in his 28th season as a head coach and is 14-24 in his second season at Emporia State after going 394-224 in 21 years at Augustana. With the Vikings he won the 2016 National Championship, went to nine NCAA Tournaments, won three regular season NSIC Championships, two NSIC Tourney Championships, and 18 consecutive winning seasons. He is 1-0 against Sterling.
Randy Stange is 50-54 in his fourth year at Sterling. He is 0-1 against Emporia State.

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WARRIORS
Emporia State leads the all-time series 10-1. The lone Sterling win was a 26-24 decision in the 1919-20 season.

LAST TIME VS STERLING
Emporia State used a balanced scoring effort on the way to an 86-63 win over Sterling. Ten Hornets scored with seven scoring at least eight points.
The Warriors scored the first four points of the game and led 6-4 with 17:41 left in the opening half.  Emporia State would hold Sterling without a field goal for the next 5:43 as they went on an 18-2 run to take a 22-8 lead and the lead never dropped to single digits after that. 
Arhman Lewis had 16 points and six assists to lead three Hornets in double figures.  Karyiek Dixon had 11 points and nine rebounds while Parker Day added ten points with six rebounds.  Donald Coats III had a team high 11 rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT
Playing a matinee in front of the Emporia Middle School sixth graders, Emporia State rolled to a 113-60 win over Kansas Christian on Monday afternoon in White Auditorium.
The Hornets jumped out to a 16-4 lead just over three minutes into the game and never trailed. A Jack Weigus three-pointer capped a 12-0 run and gave Emporia State a 28-7 lead with 12:07 left in the half. Chris Harris hit a floater in the paint to make it 37-9 with 8:33 remaining. The teams played even the rest of the half with Dallas Bear hitting a three at the buzzer to give the Hornets a 58-30 lead. Mason Jones score eight points during a 15-0 run that gave Emporia State a 96-49 lead with 7:27 remaining. The Hornets scored the final seven points of the game for the 113-60 final.
Dallas Bear scored a career high 22 points to lead six Hornets in double figures as Emporia State eclipsed the 100 point mark for the 105th time in school history. Bear was joined in double figures by Mason Jones with 17 points, Andrew Pengel with 16, Jack Weigus with 14, Trey Redd with 11 and Justin Mack with ten points.  It was an ESU career high for Jones, Weigus and Redd. 
Emporia State shot 55.1% from the field and outrebounded Kansas Christian 52-27 as every Hornet grabbed a rebound. 

UP NEXT
The Hornets will end 2025 on the road when they travel to Rockhurst on Saturday. Tip-off from Mason Halpin Fieldhouse in Kansas City, Mo. is set for 2:00 p.m.