Emporia State men’s and women’s basketball failed to advance beyond the first round of the MIAA Tournament Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.
In their sixth consecutive MIAA Tournament , the Hornet men were only able to finish their match-up against the University of Central Oklahoma within 60-73. They struggled throughout the game and were behind by 20 at the half with the Bronchos leading 45-25.
The Hornets shot at only 29 percent, 9-31, in the first half compared to the Bronchos’ 50. Their free throw average sat at 3-16, or 18.75 percent.
In the second half, the Hornets upped their game, shooting at 43.75 percent from the floor and scoring eight of the following 10 points. Sophomore guard Arhman Lewis shot a three-pointer to bring the Hornets within 33-47 and junior guard Malik Edwards, Jr. later helped to trim the deficit further 45-58. The Hornets were unable to reach or surpass the Bronchos in remaining minutes of the second half, ultimately falling to UCO with a deficit of 13 points 73-60.
Head Coach Thomas Billeter said that the Hornet men played hard, but went up against a “really good team” that guarded them well. He said they were unable to make the shots they had made in their previous match-ups that led them to win seven of their last 11 games in order to take the win against UCO.
“I enjoyed the season and felt we showed improvement throughout the year,” Billeter said. “Next season looks quite promising, we are already looking forward to it!”
He is also thankful for the appearance the Hornet Revue and ESU cheer and dance made at the tournament.
“They are the best and I can’t tell you how big of a difference they make! I really cannot thank them all enough,” he said in an email.
Following the noon men’s game, the Lady Hornets took the floor at 8:15 p.m. to face the Jennies of the University of Central Missouri in their 29th consecutive trip to the MIAA Tournament. Shooting at only 31.1 percent overall, their season closed with a 70-59 loss.
Following a short lived lead in the first quarter off of a 9-2 scoring run, the Hornets fell behind the Jennies at the half 35-24.
ESU shot at only 25.53 percent in the first quarter and 26.67 in the second compared to the Jennies’ respective 52.94 and 41.18. As a whole, the Lady Hornets shot at just 25 percent during the entire first half of the game.
The Lady Hornets rallied back against the Jennies in the second half, forcing four turnovers and improving their shooting percentage to 40 percent, a stark contrast to their play in the first half. They were able to get within just six points of UCM 47-41 by the end of the third quarter.
The Jennies took a 56-43 lead in the fourth off of a 9-2 scoring run, but a three-pointer junior guard Gracie Gilpin trimmed the deficit and brought the Hornets closer to 60-52. The Lady Hornets were only able to score 7 additional points for the remainder of the game and fell 70-59 to UCM.
“Our young basketball team really competed with UCM,” Head coach for the Lady Hornets, Brian Ostermann, said in an email. “We had some opportunities late in the game cutting the score to 6 points and just were unable to make a few key plays!”
Ostermann looks forward to next season’s returners as well as new team members for the 2025-26 season. He says that the current group of Lady Hornets are “very special people.”
“I would like to thank the players for their love and support to each other and our coaching staff. This group has been through a lot of adversity, and they have grown so much,” he said.
The MIAA Tournament marked graduate student guard Katie Horyna’s last game playing for the Hornets. She scored 12 points, had eight rebounds and seven assists.
“Katie was our leader, and she was fantastic all season, particularly in the MIAA,” said Ostermann.
The Lady Hornets ended the season 10-19 overall and 5-14 in conference play. In Billeter’s first season as head coach, the Hornet men finished 11-18 overall with an 8-11 conference play record.