Sophomore guard Brittney Miller struggles against the CMU defense Saturday night in the second round of tournament play. The Hornets were not able to catch the Jennies and finished the game 74-79.

The Emporia State women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a slow start against Central Missouri Saturday afternoon as the team lost to the Jennies, 74-79.

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider gave UCM guard Kara Fleming credit for their explosive first half.

“I thought Central Missouri was just really, really good in the first half, Kara Fleming in particular,” Schneider said. “Her stat sheet at halftime looked like an NBA line. She really did a great job of getting to the basket, creating plays for others and just being the heart and soul of their team.”

The Jennies were the first to score on a three-pointer from guard Brittney Slifer. Junior forward Alli Volkens scored four consecutive points for the Hornets to start the offensive barrage, the first two coming from the free throw line and the next two in the paint.

The Hornets went up by three at 12-9 thanks to a half hook shot from sophomore guard Brittney Miller with just over 15 minutes to play. The first timeout on the floor of the half stopped the action with the Hornets trailing Central Missouri 12-13 with 13:18 remaining in the half.

Right out of the timeout, freshman guard Rachel Hanf hit a three-pointer at the top of the key, giving the Hornets a 15-13 lead.

With 9:23 left in the half, the Hornets were up on the Jennies 22-20.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston goes for a lay up Saturday night at Kansas City.

Central Missouri used quick defense to go on a 10-2 run, putting the score at 30-22 in favor of UCM before Schneider called timeout with 7:41 left in the half. The Jennies continued their dominance, leading the Hornets by as much as 11 with 5:10 to play in the first half.

UCM called timeout after an ESU comeback effort set the score at 38-44, advantage Central Missouri.

The Hornets went into the locker room at halftime still trailing UCM, 41-50.

Emporia State started the second half on a 7-2 run, sparked by a big three-pointer from senior guard Lacy Corker. A Central Missouri timeout broke the action with the Hornets behind the Jennies 48-52 with 17:20 left in the contest.

The first media timeout of the half saw the Hornets still trailing UCM, 48-54, with 15:52 to play.

The Hornets battled back to cut the lead to one at 53-54, but a string of Jennies long shots put Emporia State back down by six, 53-60 with 11:59 left in the second half.

Thanks to a shot from behind the arc from Corker, the Hornets only trailed the Jennies by two, 60-62, with just over nine minutes remaining.

Senior forward Alli Volkens shoots over a Jennies' defender Saturday night in Kansas City.

Central Missouri used a quick spurt to get back up by eight points, 70-62, with 7:29 to play before Schneider called timeout. The final media timeout of the game saw Emporia State trailing Central Missouri 67-72 with 3:51 left in regulation.

The Hornets pulled within two of UCM’s lead at 71-73 with 1:28 remaining before Schneider called timeout to set up a play.

A traveling call on Volkens gave Central Missouri possession with under a minute to play.

In the end, the Hornets couldn’t overcome the deficit and fell to the Jennies, 74-79.

According to Corker, the team’s defense was a cause of concern throughout the game.

“Offensively, things were going fine now and then, but then once we would do good on offense, we’d come down on defense and they would come right back at us,” Corker said. “We didn’t get enough stops at the right time.”

Senior guard Cassondra Boston said that the team’s slow start led to the eventual loss.

Senior guard Lacy Corker works for a shot Saturday night in Kansas City.

“They just came out really hard and played really well,” Boston said. “We started off really slow, and at this time of the year we can’t keep starting off really slow like that.”

Boston led the Hornets in scoring with 22, while also adding five steals and four rebounds. Volkens chipped in 15 points and nine boards.

The loss marked the end of the road in the MIAA Tournament for the Hornets. The team will now wait to see where they are seeded for the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.

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Senior guard Sophia Lenard shoots over a FHSU defender Thursday night during the first round of the MIAA Tournament. The Hornets beat the Tigers 72-66.

After a rough start, the Emporia State women’s basketball team was able to pull together and defeat Ft. Hays State 72-66 in the first round of MIAA Tournament action.

A trio of three-pointers late in the game from senior guard Jamie Augustyn led the Hornets to come back from a large deficit.

“I just did what I do,” Augustyn said. “My teammates did a really good job of finding me open, so I just shot it.”

Freshman guard Jocelyn Cummings was the first to score for the Hornets on a slashing move to the basket. With just over 17:30 to play in the first half, the Hornets found themselves down 3-7 thanks to a pivotal Ft. Hays three-pointer.

The first media timeout of the half stopped the action at the 15:56 mark with ESU trailing the Tigers 5-7. Following the timeout, the Tigers went on a 4-0 run until senior guard Sophia Lenard made a basket in the paint.

Another media timeout saw the Hornets still trailing Ft. Hays State, 9-15, with 11:20 remaining in the half.

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider was forced to call a timeout when the Tigers’ lead extended to 11 with 8:09 left in the half.

Senior guard Lacy Corker made a three-pointer following the timeout, cutting Ft. Hays State’s lead to eight, 12-20. Two straight treys from Ft. Hays’ Naomi Bancroft put the Hornets behind by 14 with just over six minutes to play in the half. The final timeout on the floor of the half saw the Tigers with a 29-17 lead over Emporia State with 3:27 remaining.

Senior guard Lacy Corker puts up a 3 point shot Thursday night in Kansas City.

A well executed offensive play by the Hornets saw Cummings take it to the rim and score, cutting the lead to 10. A pair of free throws from Lenard and a slashing basket by Boston saw the Hornets pull within six of Ft. Hays’ lead, 23-29, with just over a minute to play in the opening period.

A three-pointer from the Tigers gave them a nine point cushion going into halftime with a 32-23 lead over ESU.

Schneider said that Hays’ effort in the first half proved to be formidable.

“In the first half, Hays was really good,” Schneider said. “I really felt like the difference between the two halves (was) Hays’ seniors played like they wanted to play another game. They out-competed our seniors.”

Boston led the Hornets in their comeback effort with seven early second half points. A timeout on the floor stopped the action at the 11:33 mark with the Hornets trailing the Tigers 38-47.

Augustyn sparked the comeback by the Hornets, who cut the Tigers lead to four at 43-47 with just under 10 minutes to play. Junior forward Alli Volkens followed up Augustyn’s basket with one of her own on the low block, setting the score to 47-45 in favor of FHSU. Another three-pointer from Augustyn that led the Hornets to within one of the Tigers’ lead, 48-49, led to a timeout by Ft. Hays Coach Tony Hobson.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston attacks the FHSU defense Thursday night in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

Following the timeout, ESU finally took the lead thanks to yet another Augustyn three-pointer. The Hornets went on a 7-2 run after the timeout by Ft. Hays, bringing the score to 55-51 in favor of Emporia State with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.

Boston said that it was at this point the seniors realized it was time to step up.

“We knew we had to pick it up right then and there,” Boston said. “I just kept stressing that every possession mattered. We couldn’t take any possessions off.”

Ft. Hays went on a small run of their own to tie the game up at 55 with 4:08 left to play.

The final media timeout saw ESU leading FHSU 58-57 at the 3:37 mark.

A myriad of lead changes occurred in the final few minutes of the game until a hard earned basket on the low block by Volkens stretched the Hornets’ lead to three, 66-63, with 1:04 remaining in the half.

Following a FHSU timeout, a trip to the charity stripe for Boston led to two more points, extending their lead to five, 68-63 with under a minute to play.

Boston gave the Hornets four more free throw points as the team left the court with a victory over the Tigers, 72-66.

Boston led all scorers with 23 on 6 of 18 shooting. Augustyn chipped in 11 points, while Volkens and senior guard Lacy Corker added 10 points each.

The Hornets will now face Central Missouri in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2:15 on March 6 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

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The Emporia State women’s basketball team fell short of capturing the #1 seed for the upcoming MIAA Tournament as they fell to rival Washburn 63-51

Shooting was a major concern for the Hornets – ESU only shot 28.8 percent from the field.

“We just didn’t hit shots when we needed to,” said senior guard Cassondra Boston. “Obviously we didn’t shoot very well tonight. Usually we do shoot pretty well here. Tonight that wasn’t the case.”

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider concurred.

“We just didn’t make enough baskets and finish enough plays in the first half to take advantage of their foul situation,” Schneider said.

The Ichabods started off hot, jumping out to an early 11-4 lead with just over 16 minutes to play in the first half. The first media timeout of the half stopped the action with the score still the same with 14:38 to play.

Emporia State’s scoring drought was finally ended after the media timeout by a drive to the basket by Boston.

The Hornets closed to within three of Washburn’s lead, 8-11, with just over 11 minutes in the half thanks to a banked jump shot from senior guard Sophia Lenard. After an easy bucket from Washburn’s Dayna Rodriguez, senior guard Jamie Augustyn answered with a three-pointer, bringing the score to 11-13 in favor of the Ichabods.

Following a timeout on the floor, sophomore guard Brittney Miller tied the game at 13 with a layup. The teams were neck and neck at 15-all until a Washburn three-pointer gave the Ichabods a three point lead.

With under two minutes to play in the first half, the Hornets trailed the Ichabods 15-20. Another Washburn three ball gave the Ichabods an eight point advantage over the Hornets with 1:22 remaining in the first half.

The Hornets went into the locker room at the half trailing Washburn 21-25.

Washburn started out the second half much like they did the first with an 8-3 run that set the score at 24-33 in favor of Washburn. The first timeout on the floor of the half paused the action with the Hornets still trailing the Ichabods, 26-35, with 14:24 to play in the contest.

The Hornets, however, would not go away easily, as an offensive surge in the paint led by junior forward Alli Volkens brought ESU within one point of Washburn’s lead, 34-35, before the Ichabods called a timeout with 11:22 left to play.

Schneider called timeout at the 8:19 mark when the Ichabods’ lead stretched to six at 37-43 to regroup the shaky Hornets.

The final timeout on the floor saw ESU trailing Washburn 41-50 with 4:23 left to play in the contest.

Thanks to two quick baskets, the Hornets cut Washburn’s lead to five, 45-50, before WU called timeout with 2:40 left. Following the timeout, the Ichabods went on a 9-0 tear to pull away from the Hornets.

The Hornets eventually fell to Washburn, 51-63.

Volkens said that the team’s focus was probably on games in the future.

“We might have looked ahead a little bit too far,” Volkens said. “Our motto is ‘take it one day at a time’…we didn’t do that.”

Boston led the Hornets in scoring with 13, followed by Lenard with 11 and Volkens with 10 points.

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A 33-point, 10 assist performance from senior guard Cassondra Boston elevated the Hornets past the Bearcats of Southwest Baptist last night, 103-90.

          Junior forward Alli Volkens talked at length about Boston’s contributions to the team.

          “It makes it a lot easier on us, that’s for sure,” Volkens said. “It’s not that we expect Boston to score, but we almost do expect her to score. When she does score, it helps…if she wasn’t shooting lights out first half, we would have been in a hole, that’s for sure.”

Freshman guard Rachel Hanf hit a three-pointer to start the game for the Hornets. Another three-pointer, this time from sophomore guard Brittney Miller, gave ESU six early points and a 6-2 lead with just over 18:30 to play in the half.

Following three straight SBU treys, the Hornets found themselves trailing the Bearcats 11-10, but Boston’s three-pointer put the Hornets back on top, 13-11. A layup by senior guard Jamie Augustyn and another three-pointer from Boston gave the Hornets 18-13 lead.

The game was tied up at 21-all with just over 13 minutes to play until an easy low post put back by junior forward Alli Volkens gave the Hornets a two point lead. A timeout on the floor saw the Hornets leading the Bearcats 32-29 with 8:44 left in the half.

The Hornets went on a 13-3 run until an ESU timeout paused the action at the 1:01 mark. Emporia State went into the locker room with a 54-47 lead at the half.

The teams traded points back and forth to begin the second half. Southwest Baptist made a short run before the first media timeout of the half stopped the action with the Hornets holding onto a 61-57 lead with 14:37 to play.

A technical foul was called on SBU Coach J.C. Carter, giving the Hornets an opportunity for extra points at the free throw line. The technical foul points gave the Hornets a 67-59 advantage with over 13:30 left in the contest.

The Hornets coasted to the end of the game, easily winning over SBU 103-90.

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider was pleased with Boston’s performance but was concerned about the team’s defensive showing.

“I thought she (Boston) shot it well,” Schneider said. “But you know what – they had a couple guys shoot it well too. All in all, I wasn’t thrilled with anybody’s defense.”

Boston said that the team’s intensity will need to be raised in order to better perform on that end of the court.

“I think we just need to apply more pressure,” Boston said. “We’ve kind of gotten away from pressuring people as much.”

The team shot an impressive 75 percent from beyond the arc, while also shooting just over 65 percent from the floor. Southwest Baptist was held to just over 50 percent from the floor. The Hornets out rebounded SBU 27-20.

Volkens scored 16 points for the Hornets, along with 13 from Augustyn and 11 from Hanf. Volkens also chipped in two blocks.

Missouri Southern is on tap next for the Hornets. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 in White Auditorium.

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Senior guard Lacy Corker goes for a lay up Saturday night at White Auditorium as the Hornets faced the UNO Mavericks. Corker had 5 steals and 18 points for the night helping the Hornets finish with a 96-78 win. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The #5 Emporia State women’s basketball team, coming off of a loss against Central Missouri, captured a win last Saturday against the Mavericks of Nebraska-Omaha, 96-78. The victory marked the Hornets’ 20^th of the season and 13^th in the MIAA.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston knew what it would take to come away with a W against a tough UNO team.

“Coming off a loss on Wednesday, we knew we had to come out and play extra hard,” Boston said.

After going down 3-0 to start the first half, sophomore guard Brittney Miller scored first for the Hornets on an assist from Boston. The Mavericks continued their quick start against ESU, leading by as much as four early on, 8-4, until smart offensive plays by Boston and junior forward Negesti Taylor led the Hornets to tie the game at 10-all with over 16 minutes in the half with over 16 minutes in the half.

UNO jumped out once again on the Hornets, this time 18-12 before a basket by senior guard Lacy Corker cut the lead to four.

Junior forward Alli Volkens fights for a rebound Saturday night at White Auditorium. Volkens led the Hornets in rebounds for the evening with 11. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The first timeout on the floor stopped the action with 14:29 remaining in the first half with the Mavericks leading the Hornets 20-14.

Following the timeout, the Hornets went on a 6-0 run, tying the game at 20-all with just under 12 minutes to play in the half. The Hornets took their first lead of the half, 23-22, thanks to a three-pointer from Boston at the top of the key.

Both teams were shooting over 60 percent from the field with just under 10 minutes to play in the half.

A Corker three-pointer followed by a trey from senior guard Sophia Lenard gave the Hornets a seven point advantage before UNO called timeout with 7:01 to play in the half.

With 5:06 left in the half, a traditional three point play was converted by Corker, giving Emporia State an 11-point lead. The Hornets’ lead extended to 15 with just over two minutes to play, mainly due to recurrent UNO turnovers that were converted to baskets by ESU.

Emporia State went into the locker room with a 17-point lead over the Mavericks, 55-38.

Sophomore forward Brittney Miller looks to score Saturday Night at White Auditorium. Miller finished the night with 17 points for the Hornets. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The two teams went back and forth early in the second half until a timeout by UNO paused the action, with the Hornets on top 61-44 with 15:43 left to play in the contest.

The Mavericks would cut the lead to 13 at 63-50 with 12:45 remaining in the half. A timeout on the floor saw Emporia State still leading the Mavericks, 67-55, with 9:59 to play.

The Mavericks continued their comeback effort, closing to within 10 of the Hornets lead at 75-65 with five minutes to play in the second half.

In the end, UNO’s efforts wouldn’t be enough as they fell to the Hornets, 96-78.

Boston led the Hornets in scoring with 24, followed by Corker with 18 and Miller with 17. Junior forward Alli Volkens added 11 rebounds, and senior guard Jamie Augustyn chipped in five assists on the night.

Corker said that it was the team’s defense that translated to the high offensive output.

“Tonight we were doing good on defense, and it helped carry over on the offensive end,” Corker said.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston attacks the UNO defense Saturday night at White Auditorium. Boston led the Hornets in baskets with 24 of their 96 points. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Emporia State Coach Brandon Schneider commented on the team’s energy level as part of their success.

“I liked our energy,” Schneider said. “I know we gave up 78 points, but I feel like we really forced them to make some plays and make some tough shots. Our defense affected the tempo of our offense, which was obviously a little bit faster tonight.”

A home game versus Southwest Baptist is up next for the Hornets. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in White Auditorium.

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Senior guard Jamie Augustyn shoots a three pointer over a MWSU defender Wednesday night at White Auditorium. The shot brought the Hornets to 20 three point baskets for the night setting a new ESU and MIAA record. Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin

The Emporia State women’s basketball team set a school and MIAA record with 20 three-pointers while in the process of obliterating the Missouri Western State Griffons last night, 110-68. Five Hornets scored in double figures, highlighted by senior guard Cassondra Boston’s 28-point outing.

            “I think I’ve just been relaxing on my shot and they’ve been there so I’ve been taking them,” Boston said. “I’ve been feeling a little bit more confident in my shot.”

It was Boston who scored the first points of the game off of a set three pointer, giving the Hornets the early 3-0 lead. Thanks to key offensive efforts from Boston and sophomore guard Brittney Miller, the Hornets jumped to a quick 10-2 lead with over 17:30 left to play in the first half. Boston struck from beyond the arc again with 16 minutes remaining to give the Hornets a 13-6 advantage.

A buzzer beat by the Griffons’ Kristin Bush gave Missouri Western two points and brought the team to within one point of the Hornets’ lead, 13-12. Missouri Western evened the score at 16-all before another Boston three-pointer gave the Hornets a three point lead with over 12 minutes to play in the half. A trey from freshman guard Rachel Hanf gave the Hornets a seven point advantage over the Griffons, 25-18.

The Hornets saw their biggest lead of the half when senior guard Sophia Lenard hit a three ball which was followed by another three-pointer from Boston – the sudden barrage of points forced MWSU Coach Lynn Plett to call timeout, with the Hornets on top 36-23.

With 1:48 remaining in the first half, Boston hit yet another shot from beyond the arc, taking the score to 43-30 in favor of the Hornets.

The half ended with the same score. Boston led all scorers at the half with 17.

To start the second half, senior guard Jamie Augustyn hit a three-pointer, extending the Hornets’ lead to 16. Boston hit an uncontested three-pointer at the top of the key, which was followed by two made free throws off of a steal on the next Hornets possession, putting the score at 55-30 in favor of the Hornets with just over 17 minutes to play in the contest.

A full timeout was taken by Missouri Western after several transitional defensive breakdowns led to easy Emporia State baskets.

 With 10:30 left in the contest, Lenard rebounded the ball under the basket, made the shot and was fouled in the process – the traditional three point play gave the Hornets a 30-point lead, 76-46.

The Griffons showed their resiliency, battling back to cut the Hornets lead from 35 plus points to 28 with a little over six minutes left to play. The run from Missouri Western was short lived, however, as a three-pointer from Boston brought the lead back to 31. Another Boston trey extended the lead to 34.

The Hornets broke the 100-point mark with a three-pointer from Hanf, which was followed by another three from Augustyn, bringing the score to 103-61 in favor of the Hornets. The trey by Augustyn set a school and MIAA record for made three-pointers in a game by one team, with 20.

ESU coasted the rest of the way, and finished the game with a win over the Griffons, 110-68.

Hanf and Miller chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively. Miller also added 11 rebounds to complete the double-double.

Miller commented on the team’s recent shooting success.

“Shooting’s a big part of our team, and I think we’re awesome at it,” Miller said. “Our team’s very versatile, so I think if our shots aren’t going we can still get it inside and work our posts. I think that’s a big part of our game.”

Head Coach Brandon Schneider, having already seen the Griffons play earlier in the season, was impressed with Missouri Western’s interior defense, which inevitably led to the stellar three-point shooting performance from his team.

“They’re a keep it out of the paint team – that’s their philosophy,” Schneider said. “They did a great job in keeping the drive out of the paint. They did a great job of really making it difficult to play inside to your post players

The Hornets will hit the road for the next MIAA contest as they face off against Truman State University. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Jan. 30 in Kirksville, Mo.

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Hot three-point shooting led the Emporia State women’s basketball team to victory over the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State Sunday, 91-62. The Hornets (17-1, 10-1) shot over 55-percent from beyond the arc on their way to avenging the team’s loss to the Bearcats earlier the season and capturing their tenth straight MIAA win.

According to senior guard Cassondra Boston, the team was determined to show how much they had improved since the previous meeting.

“It was the first conference game,” Boston said. “We’ve improved a lot since then. That’s how we wanted to do it, was come out and show them how much better we’ve gotten.”

Right off the jump ball sophomore guard Brittney Miller scored two points on the low block. After a few empty possessions for both teams, it was Miller again with points on the board for the Hornets, this time from three. Boston followed up Miller’s three with a three-pointer of her own on the ensuing ESU possession.

Senior guard Jamie Augustyn chipped in a trey of her own after Northwest Missouri scored a basket, bringing the score to 11-2 in favor of the Hornets. The first timeout on the floor saw the Hornets with a definitive edge over the Bearcats early, 13-5, with 14:53 left to play in the half.

After the timeout, the Hornets went on a 7-0 run which forced Northwest Missouri Coach Gene Steinmeyer to call a timeout to regroup his team.

A 30-second timeout was called by Emporia State Coach Brandon Schneider following a few defensive lapses by the Hornets, yet the Hornets still led the Bearcats 24-11. Following the timeout, Boston hit a three-pointer to extend the Hornets’ lead to 16 with just over eight minutes to play.

The teams went back and forth between empty possessions until senior guard Sophia Lenard drove to the hole and was fouled in the act of shooting – Lenard did not make either of the charity points but hit a long jumper on the next Hornets possession. The final media timeout of the half saw the Hornets with a commanding lead over the Bearcats, 31-17, with 4:44 remaining in the half.

Junior forward Negesti Taylor scored right out of the timeout on a mid-range jumper, adding to the Hornets already growing lead. Lenard continued to make her presence known on both ends of the floor, coming up with a big three-pointer and a steal on the next NWMSU possession. The Bearcats were forced to call another timeout after Augustyn followed up Lenard’s shot form beyond the arc with one of her own, which extended the Hornets lead to 17.

Five consecutive points came Northwest Missouri’s way due to poor decisions by the Hornets on both ends of the court. The lapse in judgment led the Bearcats to cut the Hornets’ lead to 11 with double-digit seconds remaining in the half.

The Bearcats had control of the final possession of the half, until the ball was rebounded by Lenard. Lenard put up a prayer from half court with a few seconds remaining – the shot was good, giving the Hornets three more points as they headed to the locker room with the lead, 44-30.

The Hornets out rebounded the Bearcats 28-20 and shot an impressive 8-13 from three point land.

Jokingly, Lenard commented on shooting the half court shot a little earlier than expected.

“In my head, the clock was going a little bit faster than the actual clock, and I just threw it up there,” Lenard said.

The Hornets went on a 9-2 run to start the second half, padding their already comfortable lead to 21with 15:40 remaining in the contest.

Although turnovers were a slight point of concern for the Hornets, the team still commanded a hefty 16-point lead with 9:37 left to play. Following a media timeout, Augustyn stepped up big with a three-pointer from the corner which was followed by a Boston three-pointer from the top of the key on the next Hornets possession, extending ESU’s lead to 22 with 8:48 remaining.

Emporia State coasted to the end of the game and captured the victory, 91-62.

Boston and Lenard led the Hornets in scoring with 22 points apiece. Junior forward Alli Volkens and Taylor each contributed 10 rebounds apiece, while Taylor also chipped in 10 points to complete the double-double.

Schneider was happy with the progression of Taylor on both ends of the floor.

“Negesti was brought here to defend and rebound, and I think it’s very obvious that that’s her forte,” Schneider said. “But she’s made progress on the offensive end, and I think she’s beginning to trust herself and her teammates are beginning to trust her a lot more.”

The Hornets round out a three game home stand against Missouri Western on Wednesday at White Auditorium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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Senior guard Cassondra Boston launches a 3-point shot over an FHSU defender Wednesday night at White Auditorium. Boston was the top scorer of the night with 26 of ESU’s 88 points. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Despite 17 turnovers, the Emporia State women’s basketball team routed the Tigers of Ft. Hays State last night, 88-67.

To start the half, sophomore guard Brittney Miller swished a three-pointer to give the Hornets an early lead. Miller scored the next two points for the Hornets on their next possession, this time from the free throw line.

The post presence of forward Alli Volkens was known as soon as she checked in – on the team’s first possession with Volkens in the game, she was given the ball and made an easy bucket down low. The Tigers, being ever resilient, would not give up and come back to within one of the Hornets, 14-13, with just over 14 minutes to play in the half.

After a media timeout and an empty Ft. Hays possession, Boston drove the entire length of the court and made a layup, giving the Hornets a seven point lead, 20-13, with 12:03 left in the half. Volkens continued her show of dominance on the low block offensively, scoring a slashing layup off of a backdoor pass, bringing the score to 27-25 with just over six minutes to play in the first half.

A timeout on the floor paused the action with the Hornets holding onto a narrow lead, 29-26, with 4:54 remaining in the half. With less than a minute in the half, Volkens struck again on the low block, giving the Hornets the slight advantage at 34-30.

Senior guard Sophia Lenard looks for an opening in the Tiger defense Monday night at White Auditorium. Lenard got 5 rebounds and 9 points for Hornets. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

To end the half, Ft. Hays guard Naomi Bancroft chucked up a prayer from beyond the arc, which was answered as the shot banged into the net, cutting the Hornets lead to one, 34-33.

To start the second half, FHSU scored first on the low block and took the team’s first lead of the game, 35-34. On the ensuing ESU possession, Taylor was the first to score for the Hornets on a second chance jump shot from three feet out. After a made Ft. Hays free throw, Miller used her strength to power through a foul and make the basket and the free throw that followed. Miller scored again on a fast break, driving to the hole and making a contested layup which brought the score to 41-38 in favor of ESU.

Freshman guard Rachel Hanf shot and made her first three-pointer of the night, adding to the Hornets lead. A timeout on the floor saw the Hornets with the slight edge, 46-42, with 14:29 remaining in the contest.

Junior forward Alli Volkens goes for a layup Wednesday night at White Auditorium. Volkens totaled 11 points against the Tigers. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Emporia State continued their small run after the timeout, this time courtesy of senior guard Sophia Lenard on a spinning move that ended in a jump shot. After a made free throw by FHSU’s Kara Champlin, senior guard Cassondra Boston made a trey that put the Hornets up by eight with just over 13 minutes to play in the game. Freshman guard/forward Jocelyn Cummings extended the lead to 10 points off of a layup, then added two more points in the paint, on the ensuing ESU possession.

A media timeout saw the Hornets commanding a lead over the Tigers, 62-50, with 9:17 left to play in the half. Emporia State went on an 8-2 run after the timeout, thanks largely in part to consecutive three-pointers from Boston.

The Hornets coasted the rest of the way, capturing the easy win, 88-67.

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider was not pleased with the team’s first half performance.

“In the first half we had 11 turnovers, we were sloppy,” Schneider said. “We weren’t patient. We were trying to go inside, and we weren’t patient and didn’t execute a couple out of bounds plays where we threw the ball away.”

Boston said that the beginning of the second half was shaky for the team.

“In the second half we kind of got a little complacent and let them back in it,” Boston said. “We weren’t rebounding and getting as many stops as we needed to. In the second half we realized that they were in it and we need to come out and play hard.”

Hanf noted team chemistry, along with talent, as important factors in the team’s recent success.

“Everyone on the team has the ability score a lot,” Hanf said. “Once we all get on the same page and start doing what we can, it really helps.”

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Junior forward Alli Volkens looks to pass Monday Night at White Auditorium. The Hornets crushed Truman State 77-55. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

For the second straight game, the Emporia State women’s basketball team did not allow a double-digit scorer as they defeated Truman State, 75-55. Four Hornets ended up in double figures, including high scorer and senior guard Cassondra Boston with 17 points.

“We had a lot of players that were able to drive on their players, and we took advantage of that and opened up the floor,” Boston said. “People made really good plays tonight, good decisions.”

The Hornets were well met by the Bulldogs early on, even trailing Truman by as much as six with 8:07 left to play, until ESU went on a 17-4 drive to end the first half, leading 39-29.

Boston said that the team’s lapse in defense was the cause of TSU’s short lead.

“I think we just realized we needed to pick it up on the defensive end,” Boston said. “We were letting them score a little bit too easily, and we started to get a little more stingy on defense and get after those loose balls and just play a lot better defense on them.”

Emporia State Head Coach Brandon Schneider was also witness to the Hornets’ defensive collapse.

“I thought we played on our heels a little bit,” Schneider said. “I felt like we played a little

Senior guard Sophia Lenard attacks the basket Monday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

bit like we were the underdog early and didn’t play with the kind of aggression on both ends of the floor that we needed to. Once we start playing a little bit better defense, I thought that helped us get in a better flow.”

The second half proved to be more fruitful for the Hornets as the team turned it up on both offense and defense and never really allowed the Bulldogs to get the game within reach.

Schneider attributed the team’s success to a slashing, drive-to-the-basket style of play as opposed to the normal high-low game that the team is accustomed to.

“I think a lot of it is people know we’re going to play that way. Typically then, we have to adjust to however their guarding it,” Schneider said. “Tonight, I thought Rachel Hanf really sticks out in particular, really getting in some seams and making some plays. Cassondra (Boston) obviously had a nice game, Sophia (Lenard) made some good plays but I’m probably more excited about how Negesti (Taylor) played than anybody. It’s nice to see her finish some plays and continue to rebound really well.”

Sophomore guard Brittney Miller also said that the team’s approach to the game earned them the victory.

“We do like to dribble-drive,” Miller said. “A lot of our players are good at that, so we try to go to our strengths. It’s been working, but we’re going to keep getting better.”

Miller contributed 14 points for the Hornets, while senior guard Sophia Lenard and Hanf

Junior center Negesti Taylor goes in for a layup Monday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Junior center Negesti Taylor almost had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Lenard saw some extended action during the contest – action she had been missing out on due to an injury sustained earlier in the season.

“We’re trying to kind of work her (Lenard) into it,” Schneider said. “Prior to us going to the San Francisco trip, it was the first time she really had any extended practice. We left her in there a little bit too long on a couple occasions where she made some mistakes I think just out of fatigue, so we have to be careful with that. We’re trying to work her into the rotation as much as we can.”

Schneider said that he has noticed some marked improvement from the team, in many different facets of the game.

“We’re trying to get better, particularly on the offensive end, and tonight I thought we executed much better,” Schneider said. “It’s good to know that we can go and play two drastically different teams and win a fast paced game and turn around the next day and have them play a really physical, grind-it-out style and know that we can win a game even when we don’t make shots.”

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Guard Brittney Miller works for an opening against a UCM defender Saturday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Jennies 72-66. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The Emporia State women’s basketball team, coming off a 1-1 conference road trip, opened home play Saturday with a win against Central Missouri, 72-66.

The Hornets started the game down early, 13-7 with 15:48 left in the first half. The Jennies would increase their lead to nine at the first media timeout, leading the Hornets 16-7. Central Missouri extended their lead even more, this time leading the Hornets by 10 at 23-13 with 10:33 left in the half – ESU would call timeout.

After the timeout, the Hornets would battle back to within seven, with key efforts from senior guard Cassondra Boston, freshman guard Rachel Hanf and a big-time block from sophomore guard Brittney Miller.

Freshman Kelsey Newman would hit a three in the corner to get the Hornets within four, taking the score to 28-24 in favor of the Jennies. The presence of sophomore forward Allie Volkens continued to be a frustration point for Central Missouri – she would nail two free throws to narrow the Jennies lead to two before a UCM timeout. Volkens would be the one to tie the game for the Hornets at 28-all with a nice spin move on the low block, however, Central Missouri would answer with a bucket of their own to take the lead again at 30-28.

Once again, Volkens hit another low block basket to tie the game at 30 with 4:30 left in the first half. Forward Ashley Ferrell would be the one to give the Hornets the edge this time, coming off a free throw point on foul called on a slashing move to the basket.

Forward Ashley Ferrell takes a lay up Satuday night at White Auditorium against the UCM Jennies. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

With 1:12 left in the half, the score was tied at 33. Junior center Negesti Taylor scored on the low block with 24.3 seconds left, making the traditional three point play that gave the Hornets the lead, 36-33. The Jennies would answer on their own low block with a bucket, closing the half with the Hornets leading by one, 36-35.

Boston said that there was an emphasis put on feeding the low post throughout the first half.

“We started out taking a lot of jump shots, then we started running plays to get inside,” Boston said.” “Alli was scoring, so we kept going to her. We got in the bonus early so we knew we had to take it to them on the inside and score inside.”

Volkens commented on what her expectations were for the game.

“Brandon (Schneider) talked to me in shoot around, and he said that he just wanted me to come off the bench and be a spark for the team,” Volkens said. “We got down early so I just tried to come in and play hard.”

The Jennies would score the first five points of the second half, followed by a three-pointer by Jamie Augustyn to cut the UCM lead to one at 40-39. Augustyn would answer with another three to take the lead for the Hornets, which was followed by a slashing bucket by the Jennies to tie the game at 42 with 17:00 left in the half.

Volkens would continue her reign of dominance on the low block offensively, netting another bucket, giving her 12 points on the night at the time. A timeout on the floor saw a break in the action with the Jennies leading the Hornets

Forward Alli Volkens shoots over a UCM defender Saturday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

50-46 with 14:00 minutes to go in the contest.

The Hornets would pick it up on offense, with senior guard Lacy Corker driving to the basket for a deuce and Volkens once again hitting a low block shot, leading to a traditional three pointer that put the Hornets on top, 54-52 with 10:30 left to go in the half.

After a timeout on the floor, Boston would lead the way for the Hornets, converting on a traditional three point play to give the Hornets the lead at 57-53 with 8:45 to go. Boston would score again, this time giving the Hornets three from beyond the arc, forcing Central Missouri to call timeout.

ESU stepped it up on the offensive side of the ball once more with the help of two consecutive Boston three point plays, putting the Hornets ahead of the Jennies 63-55 with 4:38 left in the contest.

With 1:13 to go, Emporia State called timeout with a six point lead at 67-61. Miller hit a nice basket down low, which was followed by a UCM timeout after a Jennies three-pointer – the Hornets held on to a five point lead.

Full-court pressure on the ESU inbounds play saw a Boston turnover, which converted to two Jennies points, cutting the Hornets lead to three at 69-66.

Forward Jocelyn Cummings looks for an open teammate Saturday night at White Auditorium as ESU faced UCM. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

In clutch fashion, Corker hit a three-pointer with 8.0 seconds left, sealing the deal for the Hornets and giving them the close victory, 72-66.

“I missed a few threes earlier in the game and Boston, they’re always going to come in on Boston when she drives, and when she drove she dished it out and saw us open,” Corker said. “I happened to be the open one, and I made it.”

Volkens led all scorers with 20 points in addition to seven rebounds. Boston added 16 points for the Hornets along with eight assists.

Boston attributed the team’s play to a solid week of practice.

“I think this week (in practice) we really got a lot accomplished,” Boston said. “We had really productive practices this week, and I think it definitely paid off and showed in this game.”

After a short break, the Hornets will be back in action on the road on Dec. 21 against California State University-East Bay in Hayward, Calif.

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The Emporia State women’s basketball team defeated Evangel University 84-59 last Saturday during the final game of ESU’s annual Tip-Off Classic. ESU (3-0) remains undefeated in the regular season and is currently 16-0 in the history of the Tip-Off Classic.

At the beginning of the first half, ESU showed various defensive strategies such as a half court trap and full court press.

“We worked it,” Head Coach Brandon Schneider said. “Using a lot of trap is dangerous.”

A couple of three point shots were made to start the half by senior guards Cassondra Boston and Jamie Augustyn. The Hornets started a game with 10-2 lead.

Evangel forward Kara Blankenship, who scored 32 points in the game, proved to be a formidable opponent for the Hornets. The first half was practically a scoring showdown between Boston and Blankenship – Boston had 18 points and three assists while Blankenship scored 21 points in the first half.

“A lot of teams know we drive to the basket,” Boston said. “We got more open chances. That’s what we tried to do tonight. I drive to be more aggressively. I just tried to attack the hoop to get all the buckets.”

ESU led 47-33 to end the first half.

The main differences between Emporia State and Evangel were low-post players and bench depth. Junior center Negesti Taylor was dominant in the paint – she had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block in the game. The Hornets pulled down 40 rebounds while Evangel only had 23.

Bench depth was another advantage of ESU. Schneider substituted many players at the same time to maintain an up-tempo game speed and save the strength of his players.

“I want to both teams (starters and bench players) to be pretty even,” Schneider said. “We have some scoring punches in both teams.”

The trump card of for the Hornets was senior guard Sophia Lenard, who came off the bench and scored 11 points – including six consecutive points – in the second half. Emporia State held a 27-point lead with 12:41 remaining in the second half.

“As a team, we are really fortunate to have bench players,” Lenard said. “Starters go out and play defense. Bench players go out and score, too. Bench or starter, it is not different to me. Just go out and play. Five minutes or two minutes, it doesn’t matter.”

The Hornets held several advantages against Evangel – Emporia State led Evangel 37-4 in bench points and 19-0 in fast break points. After game, Boston, who led the Hornets with 23 points on the day, was named tournament MVP. Taylor was selected as an All-Tournament team member.

“It’s an honor to me,” Boston said. “I am able to get this for my teammates. They passed to me a lot, so I can play more aggressive.”

Schneider was very satisfied with the team.

“We feel good about it,” Schneider said. “My goal is for the team to get better every day…when we get Brittney (Miller) back, we turn up more pressure. She is our best athletic player. She can contribute to the team with her rebounding and scoring.”

-JungHwan Seo/The Bulletin

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