January 17, 2026 – In a game of runs on Saturday, the Lady Hornets came out on top against the visiting Jennies for a 76-70 win to complete their homestand.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both Emporia State and Central Missouri got off to a strong start in the first quarter, with both teams shooting north of 50% from the floor over the first five minutes, as the Jennies led the Lady Hornets 17-12.
Emporia State responded out of the media timeout with eight straight points, including six straight from
Kaitlyn Sanders to put the Lady Hornets ahead 20-17. Central Missouri would close the quarter with five straight, retaking a 22-20 lead into the second frame.
The second saw both teams continue their offensive struggles, as Emporia State trailed 30-26 at the media timeout with 4:30 remaining until the halftime break. The Lady Hornets again put together a run out of the timeout, outscoring the Jennies 9-2 to take a 35-32 lead into the break.
Following the break, the game swung back in favor of the Jennies, as the visitors from Warrensburg outscored Emporia State 14-6 over the first five minutes of the second half, taking a 46-41 lead. However, the game trend continued in the latter half of the frame, as Emporia State put together a 14-4 scoring to end the third, including a steal and layup from
Kaitlyn Sanders in the final seconds to put Emporia State ahead 55-50, their largest lead of the game to that point.
In the fourth, Emporia State scored nine of the first 13 points, expanding their lead to 64-54, which forced a Central Missouri timeout. The Lady Hornets eventually built their largest lead of the game with 4:00 left on a layup from
Kaylin Noonan to make the score 68-57. Central Missouri clawed back, eventually closing the gap to 72-70 with 39 seconds left after six points in 13 seconds.
However, the Lady Hornets closed out the game by converting all four free throws to seal the 76-70 win, as they are now 8-2 in White Auditorium this season.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Emporia State shot 47.5% from the floor, their third-highest mark of the season, while holding the Jennies to just 36.4%.
Kaitlyn Sanders led the Lady Hornets with 22 points, including 12-13 from the free throw line.
Vanessa Coleman joined Sanders in double-digits with 18 points of her own on 8-15 shooting.
Micah Hannah had four points with nine rebounds and six assists, as she led Emporia State in both categories.
UP NEXT
Emporia State embarks on a four-game southern swing, which included three matchups in the Sooner State. The Hornets will take on Northeastern State on Thursday, January 22 in Tahlequah, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
