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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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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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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