Box Score

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The RiverHawks (9-8, 6-4 MIAA) led wire-to-wire and have now defeated two-straight ranked opponents after taking down then-No. 23 Fort Hays State 49-48 on Jan. 18. The Lady Hornets (17-1, 8-1 MIAA) were held to their lowest point total since scoring 42 against Pittsburg State nearly two years ago (Feb. 15, 2012). The previous season low for Emporia State was 67.
 
ESU also posted a 24.6 shooting percentage after finishing 15 of 61 from the field. The percentage was the worst recorded in a game by the Lady Hornets since a 65-51 loss at Central Missouri on Jan. 2, 1997. Emporia State also shot 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from downtown and 62.5 percent (10-for-16) at the free-throw line.
 
The team did not have a player score in double figures for the first time since a 64-42 loss to Washburn on Jan. 25, 1995. Desiree Wylie led with nine points, and Amber Vandiver finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Leading scorer Laura Patrick, who entered the game averaging 15.1 ppg, was held to just eight points. Merissa Quick was averaging 11.6 ppg and she finished with just five, while Kionna Kellog averaged 10.2 ppg but was held to just four.
 
Northeastern State shot 38.3 percent (18-for-47) from the field, 33.3 percent (5-for-15) from downtown and 72 percent (18-for-25) at the charity stripe.
 
Junior guard Fontana Tate led NSU with a game- and career-high 23 points. She also registered nine rebounds. Freshman forward Che'Ron Lewis added 12 points and five assists.
 
The scoring began when junior guard Chelsey Beathard connected on a three-point shot on NSU's opening possession. Lewis and Tate added five more points for the home team as Northeastern State jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead.
 
Emporia State kept the lead in single digits and was able to dwindle the deficit down to 25-24 at intermission. The score marked the first time all season ESU trailed at halftime, and the 24 first-half points were a season low.
 
NSU did not panic coming out of the locker room, however, as the home team used a 9-1 run to lead 34-25 with 15:42 remaining in the contest.
 
The Lady Hornets cut the lead down to seven, but a 7-0 run gave the RiverHawks their first double-digit lead of the contest. NSU led by as many as 18 points in the second half and clamped down on defense, never allowing the road team to get any momentum going on offense. Northeastern State did not look back after taking its lead into double digits, and the green and white was able to coast to the 15-point victory.
 
The Lady Hornets are the highest-ranked team to fall to NSU in school history. The RiverHawks have also now won three straight against ESU.
 
Northeastern State will now head out to Topeka, Kan., for a 5 p.m. showdown Jan. 25 with Washburn.
 
Scoring Summary
#2 Emporia State      24      20        44
Northeastern State   25      34        59
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH RANDY GIPSON
Opening Statement…
"I'm proud of our team and the effort they put out there. These kids are really trying hard to play the game right and play as a team on both ends of the floor. They're recognizing that they have the ability to compete in this league. We've been kicked around a lot this year, but our young ones are starting to have the experience and we're starting to gel together and work together as a team. Our kids did a good job tonight of paying attention to the game plan and going out and playing hard. We withstood a good run (Emporia State) made at the end of the first half. They were really coming at us hard. We were having trouble keeping them off the boards. But we did a better job of both defending and rebounding in the second half. That gave us a chance to make some shots and build a lead."
 
On the defensive effort…
"We're playing the same defense that we've played all season. You have to give the players a lot of credit. It's alertness. They help each other and we rotate. The help of our defense is good. We're guarding the ball better. We're containing the dribble much better than we were earlier in the year. We're also executing better. Several months of hard work is starting to show up. The team is understanding what to do now. Everything is starting to come together at this point of the year. We're just going to enjoy this one and get ready for the next one. Hopefully we can keep it going. We have a tough stretch of road games coming up, but we'll enjoy this one tonight."
 
On the most valuable player from the game…
"The team is the most valuable defensive player. We were able to find some points on offense. Fontana (Tate) made some big shots. She's aggressive and ready to score. Some of our new players have been a bit timid to score, but Fontana isn't timid and you need that kind of leadership when you play teams like this."
 
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