Emporia State basketball sweeps Turnpike Tussle over Washburn
EMPORIA (KSNT) - The MIAA regular season came to an end Saturday, with Emporia State hosting Washburn in a rivalry men's and women's doubleheader.
The Hornets got the better of the Ichabods in both "Turnpike Tussle" games, Emporia State men winning 86-64, the Emporia State women winning 77-63.
Men's Recap:
The two rivals traded baskets early on - with Kaden Evans hitting a three for an Emporia State to start the game, followed by a three for Jaden Monday seconds later to tie the game at 3-3.
Emporia State's Mayuom Buom followed with six-straight points on the Hornet's end, but Monday made two more three-pointers to keep the score tied at 9-9.
The Hornets responded with a 9-2 run to take a 20-13 lead and force an Ichabod timeout eight minutes into the contest. An Owen Long three out of the timeout gave Emporia State its first double-digit lead of the game.
Washburn followed with a 12-3 run of its own, cutting its deficit to one point with three minutes remaining in the half. The two teams went back and forth over the final minutes, with Washburn's Tyler Nelson making a 3-pointer with seconds remaining to cut Emporia State's lead to 34-32 at the break.
Emporia State slowly-but-surely expanding its lead out of half. Eight minutes into the frame, the Hornets went back into double-digits with a 49-38 lead.
Washburn would make shots, but Emporia State seemed to always find an answer. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Long gave the Hornets a 16-point lead with five minutes remaining.
The Hornets closed the game out, knocking down free throws to finish on top 86-64.
Long led the Hornets in scoring with 26 points, finishing 6-10 from three. Evans added 13, Alijah Comithier 12 and Buom 10.
Tyler Nelson led Washburn in scoring with 18. Monday finished with 17, Andrew Orr with 13, Jarmell Johnson with 10.
The Emporia State win moves the team to 21-7, 15-7 in conference play. The Washburn loss moves the team to 14-14, 11-11 in conference play.
Women's Recap:
The first quarter of the women's matchup was tight - with the Hornets leading 14-13 midway through the period. Emporia State ended the quarter on a 6-0 run to go up 24-16 through one. Seniors Tre'Zure Jobe and Victoria Price scored 13 and 8 points respectively.
More shots from Jobe and Price gave the Hornets a 13-point lead early in the second. Washburn's Yiibari Nwidadah played physical inside to get some points back for the Ichabods, but Emporia State led 41-28 at the break.
Three-straight 3-pointers from Washburn's Gabi Artis out of the locker room pulled the Ichabods within six midway through the third. Nwidadah followed with a layup to cut the deficit to four, but a three from Emporia State's Ehlaina Hartman gave the Hornets a spark.
A Jobe three put the lead back in double figures, as the Hornets carried a ten-point lead into the final frame.
Artis drilled another three to get back within single-digit points, but seven-straight points from Emporia State brought its lead back out to 16. Washburn responded with an 8-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to eight with four minutes to play.
Free throws and layups kept the Hornets in front down the stretch, keeping the game away from their rivals. through 40 minutes, Emporia State finished on top, 77-63.
Jobe, who has scored over 2,000 career points as a Hornet, finished with 30 points on 10-15 shooting. Price added 23 points without making a 3-pointer.
Washburn was led with the 3-pointers from Artis, who finished with 19 points from five threes. Aurbree Dewey provided 15 points.
The Emporia State win moves the team to 14-14, 9-13 in MIAA play. The Washburn loss moves the team to 11-17, 7-15 in MIAA play.
All four teams prepare for the MIAA tournament, which starts next week in Kansas City.