The Emporia State basketball teams played to a split against Central Missouri at White Auditorium in Emporia Thursday to restart the 2024-25 season.
Gracie Gilpin and Katie Horyna combined for 42 points as the Lady Hornets fended off the Jennies 70-66. ESU rushed into the lead on a personal 9-0 run by Gilpin at the end of the first quarter. Gilpin hit her first five threes of the contest as ESU put together a 29-7 run that spanned just over 11 minutes to lead by 15 late in the first half. A UCM 3-pointer beat the buzzer to make it 41-29 at the break. Central rushed back into the game quickly in the second with a 10-0 run that took just two minutes. It turned into a 15-3 run overall to tie the game at 44 apiece. ESU responded with baskets late to take the lead back going into the fourth quarter and built it as high as 11 in the fourth. UCM had a 9-1 run in the final minute to cut it to two, but Horyna iced the game with two free throws with six seconds to go. Assistant coach John Ishee said after the game that senior leadership was key.
Junior guard Gracie Gilpin credited her teammates for keeping her hot in the first half.
Gilpin finished with a season high of 22 points and matched a career high with six 3-pointers while Horyna added 20. Ishee coached in place of head coach Brian Ostermann who was suspended for both games this week by Emporia State as part of a personnel matter. Ostermann will return to the bench for next week’s road trip to Fort Hays State on Thursday, January 9. ESU (7-5, 2-1 MIAA) returns to action Saturday to host Washburn in the Turnpike Tussle.
In the men’s game, the Hornets nearly overcame a 14-point deficit with just over two minutes remaining but fell short in a 72-69 defeat to Central Missouri. Neither team led by more than five in the first half as the Mules took a 31-28 lead to halftime. Early in the second half, UCM ripped off 10-straight points to take a 47-35 lead with just under 15 minutes to go. The Hornets answered with 11-straight to cut their deficit to one. The Mules found another run late with an 11-0 run of their own to take a 63-49 lead with 3:28 to go, but after trading some free throws, ESU stormed back with a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to two. Arhman Lewis nailed a long three with six seconds left to bring the Hornets within one. Forced to foul, the Mules nailed two free throws and a last second heave by the Hornets to tie the game came up short. Head coach Tom Billeter said the start of the second half doomed the Hornets.
Lewis matched his career high with 24 points and hit a personal best four threes. Brayson Laube added 13. ESU (4-8, 1-2 MIAA) hosts #2 Washburn Saturday. Tip-off for the men is set for 1:40 p.m. and the game will be the first MIAA Basketball Game of the Week aired by 38 the Spot out of Kansas City. The women will follow 25 minutes following the conclusion of the men’s game. Coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. on the Hornet Sports Network/Mix 104.9.
