The Emporia State men’s basketball team couldn’t keep up with #19 Oklahoma Baptist in a 69-48 loss at the Noble Sports Complex on Friday afternoon in Shawnee, Okla. The Hornets battled early but gave up a 17-2 run to fall behind 20-10 midway through the first half. ESU scored nine of the next 11 to pull within three, but OBU held the Hornets to just two points in the final five and a half minutes of the first half as part of a 13-2 run while scoring the half’s final nine points on the way to a 39-25 lead at intermission. The #19 Bison extended their advantage to as many as 29 in the second half with a 31-7 run that spanned nearly 17 minutes including a 13-0 spurt over a six-minute stretch. At one point ESU missed 20 of 21 shots, but according to head coach Tom Billeter, shot quality was not the issue.
ESU finished 27% from the field and 6-for-29 from outside the arc. ESU turned the ball over 17 times and was outscored 27-5 in points off turnovers and 13-0 on the fast break. Andrew Pengel and Justin Mack led E-State with 12 points each. ESU (2-3) returns to action tomorrow facing Northwestern Oklahoma State. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. with pregame coverage at 2:30 p.m. on Mix 104.9. Listen online at kvoe.com/listen.
