Season high shooting from No. 1 seed Central Missouri led to a 79-50 Lady Hornet loss to close out the MIAA Tournament for Emporia State on Thursday. 

The Jennies quickly took control of the lead, up 12-2 within the first three and a half minutes. The Lady Hornets closed the gap to 14-13  after an 11-2 run with 2:46 in the first quarter, but UCM hit five of nine threes before the quarter ended, allowing them to lead 20-15. 

At the start of the second quarter Missouri went on a 9-0 run, widening the gap to pull further ahead  34-21 with 3:39 left in the second quarter. At halftime ,UCM remained up 38-26. 

The Lady Hornets battled in the third quarter scoring 19 points to UCM’s 18, but continued to trail by as many as 29 points in the fourth. Junior guard Katiya Casey, sophomore guard Lexsey DeWitt and senior forward Macey Gandee scored free throws for the Lady Hornets in the remaining minutes of play, but a 12-0 run from the Jennies grew ESU’s deficit. Early into the final quarter, Vanessa Coleman had scored the last of ESU’s non-free throw baskets. 

The 79-50 loss to UCM marked the end of the season for the Lady Hornets. At the 2025 MIAA Tournament, the Lady Hornets fell to the Jennies in the first round on a 70-59 loss.