February 7, 2026 – The Lady Hornets got off to a fast start but were unable to hold off the visiting Lions as Emporia State fell to Missouri Southern 74-69 on Saturday afternoon from White Auditorium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Hornets got off to a blistering start over the first five minutes and change as they scored the first 12 points of the game. Included the early run was a triple by
Gracie Gilpin to begin the game, which tied Rachel Hanf (2009-13) for fifth in Lady Hornet history with 208 in her career.
Missouri Southern's first points came on a pair of free throws at the 4:26 mark but Emporia State maintained the momentum throughout the quarter, taking a 23-8 lead into the second. The Lady Hornets shot 10-19 in the first ten minutes, including 3-5 from three.
Despite the strong start, Emporia State struggled in all phases during the second ten minutes. Emporia State shot just 4-10 with eight turnovers, while allowing Missouri Southern to score 25 points on 61% from the floor. The visiting Lions cut the Lady Hornet lead down to two entering the break, as Emporia State led 35-33.
Following the break,
Gracie Gilpin moved up another spot on the all-time threes made list in program history, as she opened the second half with the 209th of her career to move into a tie for fourth with Addie Lackey (2014-18).
The defense picked up for the Lady Hornets in the third quarter, as they held Missouri Southern to just three made field goals in the frame, pushing their lead to 53-47 heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, shot 6-15 from the floor and 3-6 from beyond the arc, but were unable to limit the Lions offense or keep the visitors from the free throw line. With 5:08 remaining, an
Elizabeth Tjaden three put the Hornets ahead 61-58, but the Lions with ten points over the next three minutes as Missouri Southern led 68-61 with 2:09 left on the clock.
On the next two possessions, Emporia State got back-to-back threes from
Kaitlyn Sanders as they deficit closed to 68-67 with 90 seconds to go. Following a layup by the Lions on the next possession, the Lady Hornets missed their next field goal and then ultimately fell 74-69.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Four Lady Hornets scored in double figures, with
Kaitlyn Sanders leading the way with 17 points on 6-11 shooting, including 4-6 from three.
Katiya Casey,
Gracie Gilpin and
Vanessa Coleman scored 16, 14 and 12 respectively to join Sanders in double digits.
UP NEXT
Emporia State heads west for a pair of games, with the first of two happening on Thursday, February 12 at Fort Hays State. Tipoff between the Lady Hornets and Tigers is set for 5:30 p.m. from Gross Memorial Coliseum.
NOTES
With her two threes against the Lions,
Gracie Gilpin is tied with Addie Lackey (2014-18) for fourth most threes in program history, making 209 for the Lady Hornets.
