The #7 Emporia State women’s basketball team opened up exhibition play against the University of Kansas last Sunday, only to lose the contest, 85-48.

Junior forward Ashley Ferrell goes for a layup Saturday at Allen Field House against a Jayhawk defender in the opening game of exhibition play. The Hornets lost 85-48. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

ESU started off the game decently enough, leading the Jayhawks by as much as two with just under 15 minutes to play in the first half. However, Kansas went on a 10-0 run with the score in their favor at 17-14. ESU would do little to stop a barrage of points from the Jayhawks, and soon saw themselves down 47-21.

“I think we really struggled,” said senior guard Cassondra Boston. “I mean, we started off alright in the first half, stayed with them, but then we kind of struggled towards the end of the first half. We didn’t execute as well as we wanted to, but that kind of comes with right now, it’s the beginning of the season and we’ve got a lot of new people. Execution wasn’t there, and we’re just going to have to try to go and fix that.”

Head Coach Brandon Schneider said that mediocre offensive output was a catalyst for the Hornets’ poor showing on defense.

“At the first half, our execution was really, really poor on the offensive end – that translated into bad defense,” Schneider said. “Typically, I’m a defense-first guy, but I thought our defensive issues were a result of bad offense and great defense by Kansas with their athleticism, their ability to extend the floor and pressure us. We didn’t handle it very well.”

The start of the second half saw Kansas scoring the first two points. The Hornets then went on a 15-6 run to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to 19 with just under 16 minutes remaining. However, the Jayhawks’ defense proved to be too much to handle for the Hornets, who committed 24 turnovers throughout the contest which led to 30 KU points. The Hornets would again fall victim to an effective KU offensive attack, and would eventually lose the lopsided match, 85-48.

Jocelyn Cummings lays one up against the Jayhawk’s Danielle McCray Saturday at Allen Field House in the opening game of exhibition play. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

“You know really the first eight minutes of the first half and the second half, we weren’t bad,” Schneider said. “We did some good things. Obviously we’re a little fresher – we don’t have really a bench right now. I think when they go to their bench, and their bringing in kids off their bench that are obviously as good or better than our starters.”

Junior center and newcomer for the Hornets Negesti Taylor aided the team with 11 points off of 4-5 shooting and four rebounds.

“I feel like the first half we played really good – we were getting after it,” Taylor said. “In the second half, we were playing good, but we just let it slip from us.”

As a leader for the young Hornets squad, Boston believed that Taylor played well for her first game at ESU.

“Negesti came out and played strong for us,” Boston said. “Obviously we needed her in there, (she’s) one of the only people we have on the team with some height. She came in there and she battled with them. She did a good job.”

Boston, who led the team in scoring with 15 points on 5-13 shooting, said that she had some additional troubles this year against Kansas – troubles that she did not experience last year versus the Jayhawks.

“I think it’s kind of obvious that they were keying on me, trying not to let me score,” Boston said. “I mean, the last time we played them we had Michelle Stueve, and they were more worried about her than me and that’s what got me open last time. Their main focus was to stop me.”

Senior guard Cassondra Boston looks for an opening Saturday at Allen Field House in the opening game of exhibition play. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The team’s inexperience is something that Boston was not used to on previous teams for the Hornets.

“It’s definitely different coming in here without much experience on the team,” Boston said. “That’s just something we had to fight through. It’s a good experience for those new people – that’ll really get them to understand the type of level we play at.”

Schneider was satisfied with Boston’s performance on the court, but believes that when the team has more assets for her to use, her performance will likely improve.

“When Cassondra has a little more help, she’s going to be better,” Schneider said. “Right now, out of a couple of positions, we didn’t get much of anything from certain positions on the offensive end. I think as we learn and execute better and we have some other threats out there, then it opens up the floor a little bit more for her.”

Up next for the Hornets will be the regular season opener against Benedictine. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in Emporia.

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