Lady Hornets Fall to Seventh Ranked Tigers

February 13, 2025-The Lady Hornets fell 70-52 to #7 Fort Hays State on Thursday night in White Auditorium.
 
Emporia State scored the first two points on a Makenzie McDaniel layup to open the game but the Tigers answered with a 9-0 run to take the lead for good.  FHSU led 17-7 with 3:55 left but the Lady Hornets ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to trail 17-14 after one.
 
Neither team scored in the first 2:09 of the second quarter until Katie Wagner Degarmo scored for the Tigers to go up 19-14.  Gracie Gilpin answered for the Lady Hornets with a three-pointer to get within 19-17 with 7:24 left. Fort Hays State would score the final nine points of the half capped by an old fashioned three-point play by Degarmo with 1.7 seconds left off an ESU turnover to give the Tigers a 32-20 lead at the break.
 
The second half started with Katie Horyna hitting one of two free throws before Elizabeth Tjaden connected on back to back three-pointers to get the Lady Hornets within 32-27.  ESU would hold the Tigers scoreless for the first 3:26 of the third period until Olivia Hollenbeck scored seven straight put FHSU back up 39-27 with 5:43 left in the quarter. A pair of free throws from Horyna got the Lady Hornets within 45-38 with 2:10 left but the Tigers closed the quarter on a 9-0 run  to take a 54-38 lead into the final period.
 
The Tigers scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to extend the run to 14-0 to go up 59-38 with 8:49 left.  FHSU took their biggest lead at 68-45 with 2:59 remaining before the Lady Hornets closed the game on a 7-2 run thanks to five points from Addie Kirmer and around a layup by Emma Mitchell.
 
Elizabeth Tjaden was the only Lady Hornet in double figures, finishing with 11 points. Katie Horyna had eight points and nine rebounds.
 
Emporia State's next action will be on Saturday, February 15 when they travel to Neb.-Kearney.  Tip-off from the Health and Sports Center in Kearney, Neb. is set for 2:00 p.m.