The Emporia State basketball teams were swept by Nebraska-Kearney at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Neb. on Saturday.
In the women’s game, Katie Horyna missed a game-winning 3-pointer with less than 5 seconds to go and the rebound slipped out of the hands of Janiya Alvarez and the Lady Hornets fell 73-71. The first 20 minutes were tight with a 5-0 UNK run being the biggest lead either team had as UNK led 36-35 at the break. ESU trailed by five through three after the Lopers got a running 30-footer to go as time expired. The Hornets battled back with the first eight points of the fourth but the rest of the game was nip-and-tuck with six lead changes and four ties the rest of the way. The Lopers scored the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds to go and the three by Horyna missed just short off the iron, bounced high in the air and appeared to be grabbed by Alvarez with time to shoot, but the ball slipped away as time expired. Head coach Brian Ostermann said the team knew what was at stake in the game.
Gracie Gilpin led the way by matching a career high of 23 points and also her personal best of six threes on 6 of 9 shooting from outside the arc. UNK took advantage of ESU miscues outscoring the Black & Gold 20-2 off the fast break and 22-7 in points off turnovers. ESU (9-16, 4-12 MIAA) fell for the fourth-straight game as UNK swept the season series.
In the men’s contest, the Hornets fought but slipped at the end in an 87-75 defeat to the Lopers. The Lopers used an 11-2 run to lead 19-9 early but ESU got right back in it with a 10-2 run. Down seven late in the half, the Hornets put together back-to-back baskets to trail 42-39 at the break. The teams traded the lead early in the second when ESU took a 59-56 advantage midway through the frame, but UNK replied with the next six points and the Hornets wouldn’t lead again. The Hornets got back within 3 with less than five minutes to go but the Lopers responded with a 12-3 run to go up double-digits with less than 90 seconds to go and put the game away. Head coach Tom Billeter said the team fell into some old defensive habits.
Arhman Lewis scored 16 points to lead the Hornets. Malik Edwards Jr. returned from a concussion to score 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting in 23 minutes. ESU (9-16, 6-10 MIAA) was outrebounded by 10 and outscored 13-6 in second chance points in the game. ESU takes their ‘bye’ week with only one game at Newman next Saturday. Pregame coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. on the Hornet Sports Network/Mix 104.9. The women’s game is set to tip off at 1:40 p.m. as the MIAA Basketball Television Game of the Week on 38 the Spot in Kansas City. This week’s Hornet Talk has been moved to Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. at Bruff’s Sports Bar & Grill on Mix 104.9 due to the predicted snowfall for Emporia during the middle of the day Tuesday.
