The Emporia State women’s basketball team came back from 26-points down to trail by four but couldn’t complete the comeback in a 73-61 defeat to Wayne State College at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb. on Saturday night. The Lady Hornets started the game ice cold and missed all ten 3-pointers they attempted in the first half and trailed 35-9 at one point following 20-straight Wildcat points. The Lady Hornets went on an 8-2 run to end the half down 37-17. Sophomore guard Gracie Gilpin hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half as part of eight-straight points in a 19-4 ESU run that spanned halftime that brought E-State back within single digits. The Lady Hornets came as close as four but but Wayne State connected on 17-of-18 free throws in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win. The Wildcats shot 25-for-26 from the line while ESU struggled shooting 11-for-20 from the foul stripe. Head coach Brian Ostermann said there are positives that the team can take away from the comeback.
Faith Paramore led the Lady Hornets with 16 points and eight rebounds. Gracie Gilpin and Queen Ulabo each chipped in 13 points. Emporia State falls to 1-3 with the loss and returns to action Monday to face Avila in their final game before the start of MIAA play. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 5:00 p.m. on Mix 104.9. Listen online at kvoe.com/listen or via the Audacy app.
