It didn’t happen right away, but the ESU men’s basketball team finally pulled away from Lincoln University Saturday evening. Poor shooting from beyond the arc in the first half helped keep Lincoln in the game until the Hornets outscored Lincoln by eight points in the second half to win the game 84-60.

“In the first half we’d go out and do what we wanted how we wanted and struggled,” said Head Coach David Moe. “Luckily we were still in the game at halftime, came out in the second half and came out and played the way we needed to play.”

The first half for the Hornets may not have been pretty, but ESU was still able to maintain the lead. Although the Hornets kept Lincoln from shooting well on the defensive end, they struggled themselves as they settled for ten three pointers and made only one. Emporia State was led in the half by senior guard Robert Moores who had 10 of his 12 in the first half.

The Hornets came out sluggish again in the early goings of the second half as Lincoln went on a 10-4 run to open things up and tie the game at 40. However, ESU would counter with a 19-4 run of their own to lead 59-44 with 11:59 remaining.

“Definitely, in the second half, our defense kind of sparked our offense there,” said Senior Guard Matt Boswell who had 11 points and five rebounds. “Once we started getting some stops, we got easier buckets on the offensive end.”

Despite the hot shooting from the Blue Tigers in the second half (65.2 percent), the Hornets were able to force 12 second half turnovers and get easy buckets in transition. After the big run, the Hornets would lead by as many as 20 points with 3:15 left and didn’t allow Lincoln anywhere closer than 14.

Xavier Burnette led the way with 14 points and four rebounds. ESU saw strong contributions from the bench especially from Michael Tyler who scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds.

“Mike does come off the bench,” Boswell said. “But he’s one of our better players, better scorers. When we get it to him inside, he really uses his body well (and) makes stuff happen for us on the offensive end.”

Barring Wednesday night’s action, the win puts the Hornets at 10-10 in the MIAA and alone in sixth place. The Hornets are a game ahead of Missouri Western and Pittsburg State and two games ahead of Southwest Baptist.

The Hornets played Washburn on Wednesday night in the second round of the Turnpike Tussle. They return to White Auditorium for their final home game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Fort Hays State.

Brandon Schneeberger

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Boswell

For Senior Guard Matt Boswell, versatility has defined the way he has played through his basketball career at ESU – a career which began when he was very young.

“I started playing basketball when I was as young as I remember, two or three years old” Boswell said. “My biggest influence since I’ve been playing is my dad. He’s been working with me ever since I’ve been a little kid, practicing with me (and) playing whenever he could.”

            This influence led Boswell to a successful high school career at Kapaun Mt. Carmel in Wichita where he led the Wichita City League in scoring both his junior and senior years while helping them earn their first Wichita City League title in 31 years during his junior year.

            It wasn’t until high school that Boswell began his late growth spurt. After growing four inches during his sophomore and junior years, Boswell notes that he played most of his life as a point guard.

“As young as I can remember, I’ve always been a point guard,” Boswell said. “That definitely shows in my ball-handling skills and the way I can see the floor sometimes. Coach (David) Moe will play me wherever. This year a lot of times I’ll be playing in the post, since I’m one of our taller guys. But last year I played point guard for our team.”

            Fellow Senior Guard Xavier Burnette recognizes the versatility that Boswell brings to the team.

            “Bos is one of those guys who is really versatile,” Burnette said. “He can pretty much do it all. He can score, rebound block shots. And he’s long (which) allows him to do a lot of things that the average player couldn’t do.”

            Boswell has brought this versatility to Emporia State where he has slowly grown into a leader for the Hornets. This year Boswell is averaging almost 11 points per game as well as 5 rebounds and currently leads the guards on the team in field goal percentage.

            Another strength of Boswell’s game is the effort he gives on the court every time the Hornets play.

             “I think he works hard and gives effort,” said Head Coach David Moe. “Everybody knows that Bos is giving the effort when he’s out there, all the time. There’s no question. Bos might make mistakes, but they know he’s giving everything that he has.

            As the basketball year begins to wind down and Boswell’s career at ESU comes to a close, he looks back the times he’s had.

“Through the years, I’ve had a lot of different teammates through my freshman to senior year,” Boswell said. “But as guys have come and gone, I’ve had a lot of great friendships a lot of great memories out on the court as well.”

Brandon Schneeberger

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The ESU men’s basketball team lost their second straight on the road and third straight overall on Tuesday evening.  The Hornets lost 79-66 to Southwest Baptist University as they fell behind in the last three minutes of the first half after a 15-6 run by the Bobcats. ESU was able to out shoot SBU from the field, however, as they shot 50 percent to the Bobcat’s 44.3 percent. The late first half run turned out to be one the Hornets could not overcome.

Michael Tyler led the team with 15 points, four rebounds and four steals. Matt Boswell also scored in double figures with 13 points, and Jarvis Nichols added 10. The Hornets are now below 500 on the season at 11-12 and will look to rebound Saturday as they face Central Missouri on the road.

Chris Dvorak

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Emporia State men’s basketball team lined up against The University of Central Missouri on Thursday after being postponed by weather conditions. Looking to improve upon their loss earlier in the season against UCM, the Hornets kept themselves in the game for the first half, but their efforts were marginalized early in the second half as they lost 68-51.

“Central came out (and) got physical with us,” said Head Coach David Moe. “We didn’t respond as has happened to us before… We’ve got to learn from it at some point.”

Starting the game disoriented, the Hornets put themselves in an early bind by making two fouls in the first minute and then found themselves down 5-0. ESU regained their composure and stormed back with an 11-0 run to tie the game and eventually took the lead. The half ended with UCM holding a tenuous lead over the Hornets, 27-25.

“I can’t put a finger on it. We play better when we make shots early… It makes the game easier for us, and today we didn’t make shots early,” said senior forward Michael Tyler. “We had open shots. We just couldn’t make them.”

The Hornets struggled to make anything happen down low due to the physical nature of Central Missouri. In the second half, ESU was only able to register four points in the paint.

“They are a physical team, and I thought (in the) second half we struggled,” said senior guard Matt Boswell. “We couldn’t knock down shots. When we can’t go inside, it really hurts us (offensively).”

The Hornets quickly fell further behind after a 9-3 run by UCM to start the second half. Tyler broke the Hornets dry spell by making their first field goal of the half almost nine minutes in.

“I think we struggle against bigger physical teams,” Boswell said. “I think if we get mentally and physically tougher we have a chance to compete with anyone.”

The Hornets only made six more field goals – two of them coming from beyond the arc – the rest of the game. Shooting 31.6 percent for the game and 26.9 percent for the second half, the Hornets failed to rise up to UCM’s physical challenges.

“We have to respond. You can’t just beat the soft teams. You’ve got to beat the teams that challenge you physically,” Moe said. “You have to be able to be tough to still make plays when the other team is physical.”

The Hornets now stand at 11-10 on the season and 8-7 in the MIAA. Preparing to go on a three game road stretch, the Hornets are looking for more conference wins.

“Every game is a must win now. We’ve got to take it one game at a time,” Tyler said. “We didn’t get this one. We’ve got to move on and get the next one.”

Chris Dvorak

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They asserted themselves early and didn’t let up Sunday afternoon as the

Senior Jarvis Nichols puts in a layup against Truman Sunday afternoon at White Auditorium. The Hornets won 65-61. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Emporia State men’s basketball team won a hard fought game against Truman 65-61. Matt Boswell and Xavier Burnette led the Hornets combining for 34 points and 10 rebounds.

“Coming out in the second half, coach had faith in me that if I’d get that ball in the low block that I would make something happen with it,” Boswell said. “I got a couple of shots going and hopefully sparked us the second half there at the beginning.”

Boswell and Burnette helped spark the Hornets early on as they jumped out to a fast 13-6 lead. The two combined for 11 of the first 13 points before Truman pulled back to within two points.

Neither team took control of the first half as the Hornets entered the break up 29-26.

“The first half we weren’t shooting well from the field, and guys were just kind of standing around watching, not attacking, settling for jumpers,” Burnette said. “We just knew that we had to come out even more aggressive. The more aggressive you are, I think the better you play.”

The second half saw much of the same script as Boswell scored six unanswered points after Truman quickly tied the game at 29. Much like the first half, neither team ran out to a lead larger than six points.

The Hornets, however, controlled the momentum as Burnette contributed on two different and-one plays. The first came at the 13:39 mark to break a tie, and the second happened with 6:07 left giving ESU a five point lead. A lead they wouldn’t give up for the remained of the afternoon.

“We got one possession where we had three or four offensive rebounds, ended up pulling it out and running some clock, and we ended up turning it over, but… we never veered from what’s made us successful in the last 10 days or so,” said Head Coach David Moe.

Clutch free throws down the stretch by Robert Moores who had 17 points on the afternoon would eventually put the Bulldogs away for good.

“We didn’t play as well as we’ve been playing. A little carry over from the end of the (Missouri) Western game as far as finishing shots and making plays,” Moe said. “But you get a win under your belt again and bounce back, and then hopefully you can start making shots and making plays again.”

The Hornets improve now to 11-9 overall and 8-6 in the MIAA. Their next game was Wednesday night against Central Missouri. They then travel to Nebraska-Omaha in what is the first of three straight road games for the Hornets.

“I was glad we could finish this game off,” Boswell said. “We really needed this win. We gotta build from it.”

Brandon Schneeberger

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The Emporia State men’s basketball team had a close loss to Missouri Western State University Wednesday, losing 74-68 after having an 11 point lead at the half. After leading by as much as 13 points, the Hornets were outscored on an 18-4 run. After a 9-1 run of their own, ESU tied the game with 2:25 to go but were still unable to take the lead. Missed opportunities and fouls kept the Hornets from overtaking the Griffons in the last minutes of the game.

Matt Boswell recorded his second career double-double with a career high of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Adam Holthaus also scored in the double digits with 16 points and Xavier Burnette added 10. The Hornets return home Sunday to face Truman. The loss drops them to 10-9 overall and 7-6 in the MIAA.

Chris Dvorak

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When Jarvis Nichols and Robert Moores decided to come to Emporia, they both had an inkling of what they were getting into.

“I’ve (known) Rob Moores since I was like 14 years old,” Nichols said. “We’re both from Chicago, and we played AAU ball together. So he told me about an opportunity here. I had to go DII anyway, so I looked on the website, and Emporia looked like a great place to be.”

For Moores and Nichols, the transition to Emporia has been smooth and each has followed a similar path. After graduating from high schools just outside of Chicago, Ill., they decided to come to Kansas and play basketball at Pratt Community College where Moores averaged 13.9 points per game and Nichols averaged 11.8.

The two then decided to part ways as Nichols transferred to play at Division I Northern Illinois University where he was the second leading scorer. Moores went to play at the University of Albany in Albany, N.Y.

The similarities don’t stop there as the two decided to return to Kansas for their senior season. However, both players were sidelined by injury last year as they redshirted.

“I had a stress fracture in my right leg,” Moores said. “It’s been a struggle actually coming back. I didn’t realize how slow it’d actually take to get back into shape and actually playing well. I mean confident playing.”

Nichols, likewise, tore his ACL the summer before heading to Emporia only to tear it again the first day of practice after his red-shirt season.

“The knee’s 100 percent,” Nichols said. “But you know when… you have a major injury you start hurting other parts. So I’ve been having a lot of trouble within this leg in general. The knee’s fine, but my foot aches.”

Despite the injuries, the two have been assets for this year’s men’s team, each recognizing the other’s abilities.

“Just for him being a confidence booster playing at a higher… DI level and then coming in actually being a senior,” Moores said. “Also his athleticism. He has great energy coming off the bench. Athletically he’s probably one the most athletic in the league.”

Nichols says that Moores’ intensity and fire is key to what he adds on the team. He credits Moores for adding toughness to the team as well as bringing a strong three-point presence (Moores led the nation in three-point percentage during the 2008-2009 season).

The abilities of the two haven’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the team.

“They’re both great shooters, great teammates and they’ve been a big part of our success this season,” said Matt Boswell, a senior forward for the Hornets. “We definitely, this back half of the season, need them to play well along with our other guys to make something happen.”

Brandon Schneeberger

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Senior Michael Tyler is blocked by a Washburn opponent Saturday afternoon at White Auditorium. The Hornets lost to the Ichabods 69-56. Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

The Emporia State men’s basketball team faced off against conference rivals Washburn University for the first time this season on Saturday. Falling behind early in the game, the Hornets struggled throughout to make up ground but couldn’t claim the lead losing 69-56.

“It was a big hole, but at some point you have to play well,” said Head Coach David Moe. “We played poorly… We weren’t mentally ready to play and compete in this game, and that ultimately falls back on me. It’s unfortunate, but that falls back on all of us… We have to realize we need each other to have success… You can’t do it by yourself.”

Washburn opened up the game with a three-pointer and soon had a 12-point lead as the Hornets trailed by over 10 for much of the first half. The Hornets’ offense continued to be stalled through the first five minutes of the half.

“We have to come out and fight with the same intensity that we have when we’re down,” said Senior Guard Xavier Burnette. “When teams go on runs, we tend to hang our heads. We need to put together strings of stops and just keep fighting knowing that we have each others’ backs.”

In the first half, the Hornets had a 10 minute scoring drought until two Burnett free throws. The half ended with the Hornets’ offense being held in check 25-31.

“It’s tough when you give up a lead that big right at the start of the game. I thought we could turn the corner on the steal and the pass,” said Senior Guard Matt Boswell. “We couldn’t get enough stops. We tried hard but couldn’t get it done.”

Boswell helped keep the Hornets in the game hitting three of four from beyond the arc. He ended the game with 13 points off of just eight shots.

The second half resembled the first with the Hornets trailing by double digits, making occasional rallies and bringing the score to within five or six points. Unfortunately, the Hornets were never able to capitalize on their runs.

“It was a hump we couldn’t get past,” Burnette said. “We kept fighting… It was frustrating. We just have to take this, learn from it and keep fighting.”

The Hornets record fell to 9-7 for the season and 6-4 in MIAA play. Their next game home game is at 3 p.m. Jan. 30 at White Auditorium against MIAA opponent Truman State University. The Hornets traveled to Fort Hays last night and play at NW Missouri on Saturday.

Chris Dvorak

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The Men’s Basketball team had a solid win against Lincoln University on January 12. They pulled off a 77-67 win, shooting 56 percent from the field as a team. Seniors led the Hornets with forward Adam Holthaus scoring a team-high 17 points and grabbing four rebounds.

Guard Matt Boswell also contributed to the team’s win on offense and defense with his second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as well as six assists. Senior Jarvis Nichols had 13 points and five rebounds. The Hornets led the way through the evening leading 43-21 at halftime and carried it through to increase their record to 9-6 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA.

Chris Dvorak

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File Photo/The Bulletin

Although transfer student and senior guard Xavier Burnette is new to the Emporia Men’s basketball team this year, he has already become a leader to the team and is the team’s highest point scorer.

“He certainly leads by example… in the workouts,” said the Men’s Head Basketball Coach David Moe. “He isn’t one of those guys who talks. He (leads) more by example, not talking about it and not doing it.”

One among several transfer students new to the men’s team this year, the group has been able to mesh together well and be successful. Burnette is a big reason for that.

“We had a lot of new guys this year, and we didn’t know how we were all going to mesh together,” said Matt Boswell, senior guard. “We all came together and started playing real well. (Xavier) is a big part of that.”

Originally from Topeka, Burnette first went to Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J., where he was averaging seven points a game. He then transferred to Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, where he was averaging 13 points and six assists per game. Now at Emporia State Burnette is the leading point scorer averaging 14 points per game.

“I’m just happy to be back in school. A lot of the guys have the same situation I was on the team. We’re all new,” Burnette said. “It’s been a good experience getting to know people and make friendships. It turned out to be the best decision for me.”

Unfortunately, not everything has been going well. Burnette has been plagued by a groin injury since just before break, and it has kept him from being a bigger part of some games.

“He has brought in a lot of energy. He is one of our most active energetic guys,” Moe said. “It’s unfortunate that he has that groin injury that has dragged on since Christmas.”

Burnette seems to be on the path to recovery though and willing to push through the pain.

“It’s been bothering me, I had a chance to rest over Christmas break,” Burnette said. “I know I won’t have the time to sit out for it to completely heal. I’m just doing what I can.”

Despite the injury, Burnette is still doing all he can for his team and keeping the up energy he is known for.

“He has been hurt for a while, but he brings it every day,” Boswell said. “He is our leading scorer and opens up a lot of things. He raises the level of the guys around him because he is a good competitor and a great player.”

Chris Dvorak

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The first free throw was nothing but net and so was the second. Junior guard Robert Moores’ two free throws with 3.3 seconds left in Wednesday night’s game against the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks sealed what ended up being a thrilling Hornet victory.

“I thought we had enough will to hang in there,” said head coach David Moe. “We didn’t play great, but… we willed some shots in when we had to, and you know were able to get some rebounds when we needed it.”

Moores’ hit the game winning free throws after driving to the basket with 10 seconds left to draw the foul on Nebraska-Omaha guard Torrian Harris. With the win the Hornets improved their record to 6-3 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA.

Though they were without leading scorer, rebounder and assist man, Xavier Burnette (listed as day to day with a groin injury), the Hornets found a way to win. ESU jumped out of the gates with an early double digit lead and made six threes in the half to take a 34-24 lead into the break.

“With the line up that we have – pretty much a guard lineup – you have to be able to shoot from the outside,” said sophomore guard Taylor Euler. “Early on in the season we struggled with that, but lately we’ve been hitting those threes.”

The second half would prove a different story. A 6-0 Maverick run cut the lead to just four points. Nebraska-Omaha guard Tyler Bullock led the way for the Mavericks with a game high 28 points as the Mavericks fought their way back into the second half.

With the game close, the Hornets were forced to make big free throws. Senior guard Matt Boswell led the way making six of his last eight. Boswell had a team high 17 points and seven rebounds.

“Every time it seemed like we were up one and could’ve extended it to three and we only got it to two, and they kept tying the game back up. But I’m glad we fought there, and Rob (Moores) knocked his two down there at the end and we got the win,” Boswell said.

A Running layup by Bullock gave the Mavericks a 69-68 lead, but a pair of free throws by Boswell and one by Moores gave ESU a two point cushion with 38 seconds left.

After trading free throws, ESU found themselves up two until a layup by Mitch Albers of Nebraska-Omaha tied the game up with 13.6 seconds remaining. The rest would be history as Moores drove on the right side of the lane and drew the foul. A Bullock three went off the back of the rim as time expired to give ESU a 74-72 victory.

“I knew when I had the ball in my hands, I was just going straight to the bucket, I was going to pull up for a jump shot,” Moores said.

Moores and Euler scored in double figures for ESU with 14 and 13 respectively.

ESU will travel to Central Missouri on Saturday for their next game.

Brandon Schneeberger

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