The Emporia State basketball teams were swept by Missouri Southern Saturday at White Auditorium in Emporia.
The Lady Hornets led by 18 10 minutes into the game but fell to the Lions 74-69. ESU jumped all over the Lions with a 16-2 run to start the game as Southern missed its first 14 shots and 10 threes of the contest. The Lions found a 10-0 run to trim the deficit and eventually cut the lead to 35-33 at the break. Southern finally got the lead on a 10-0 run late in the third quarter, but the Big Gold answered with a 10-2 run to get the lead back. The Lions scored the next 10 points while the Lady Hornets replied with the next six, but ESU couldn’t get enough stops and scores down the stretch to take the lead back. Head coach MJ Baker said the free throw disparity, 20-4 in favor of the visitors, was too much to overcome.
Kaitlyn Sanders led the Lady Hornets with 17 points while Katiya Casey chipped in 16. Vanessa Coleman added 12 with a career-high 10 rebounds for her first double-double. ESU (12-11, 6-8 MIAA) held the Lions to just 2-for-17 from outside the arc in the game.
In the men’s game, the Lions ripped off a 15-4 run to start the game and never trailed in a 93-73 victory over the Hornets. ESU trailed 50-33 at the break and never got closer than 12 in the second half. Freshman Jack Weigus scored 20 of his personal best 24 after halftime to help lead a 13-3 Hornet run but it wasn’t enough. Head coach Tom Billeter said the team struggles with long athletic teams like Southern.
ESU (8-15, 4-10 MIAA) outscored the Lion bench 47-27 in the game. The Hornets head west to face Fort Hays State Thursday. Tip-off for the doubleheader is set for 5:30 p.m.
