ESU Athletics
Don Weast, Associate Athletic Director
For the 15th straight year, the Emporia State Lady Hornet basketball team ranked in the top four in attendance among the over 300 NCAA Division II basketball playing schools. It is the 21st consecutive year the Lady Hornets have finished in the top six nationally.
The Lady Hornets drew an average of 1,756 fans to their 13 home games on Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium during the 2017-18 season to rank fourth nationally. Emporia State averaged more than 21 teams that made the NCAA Division I Tournament, including Sweet 16 team Buffalo. They outdrew 256 NCAA Division I schools, including 12 from the “Power 5” conferences – six from the ACC, three from the Pac 12, two from the Big 10, and one from the SEC.
Emporia State had a season high 2,612 for their game against Washburn on Jan. 13 and the Lady Hornets have played in front of at least 1,000 fans in White Auditorium in every game since Jan. 10, 1998 a span of 278 games. The last time Emporia State failed to draw 1,000 fans was a 103-38 victory over Tabor on Nov. 24, 1997 in front of 947.
The Lady Hornets have won 279 of the last 306 (.912) games in White Auditorium. The Lady Hornets have not lost a non-conference home game since a 58-51 defeat by Harris-Stowe on Dec, 8, 2007. Emporia State has only lost 12 games to unranked NCAA teams in White Auditorium since 1997. The Lady Hornets are are 427-95 (.818) overall since 1979 at home and hold the MIAA record for consecutive home wins with 62 set from 1997-2001. Emporia State is 11-7 against top ten teams in White Auditorium since 1995.
Emporia State was among five MIAA teams in the top ten nationally. As a conference the MIAA drew 201,117 fans to 204 games to lead all Division II conferences in average attendance at 986 fans per game. That mark would rank 17th among 32 NCAA Division I women’s conferences in total attendance. It is the tenth straight year the MIAA has led the nation in average attendance. The top five teams in the nation were from the Central Region with 15 teams from the region ranked in the top 25.
Emporia State is the only program in NCAA Division II history to lead the nation in attendance (2005), win a national championship (2010), and be honored with the top GPA in the nation (2017) in the WBCA Academic Top 25 list.
The Lady Hornets are set to return five players that started at least nine games last year including four of their top five scorers. They will also get back seniors Addie Lackey and Kyrstie Miller along with sophomore Daley Handy who all missed the entire 2017-18 season with injuries.
2017-18 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Attendance Top 25
School Games Total Average
1. Northern St. 14 42,788 3,056
2. Fort Hays St. 16 32,849 2,053
3. Augustana (S.D.) 17 33,066 1,945
4. EMPORIA STATE. 13 22,833 1,756
5. Washburn 16 25,311 1,582
6. Virginia Union 14 21,770 1,555
7. Drury 13 19,619 1,509
8. Ashland 19 23,861 1,256
9. Pittsburg St. 10 12,386 1,239
10. Neb.-Kearney 16 19,361 1,210
11. Arkansas Tech 14 15,198 1,086
12. Ala.-Huntsville 14 15,075 1,077
13. Lincoln Memorial 14 14,983 1,070
14. Alas. Anchorage 14 14,590 1,042
15. West Tex. A&M 14 14,519 1,037
16. St. Cloud St. 14 14,365 1,026
17. Midwestern St. 14 14,087 1,006
18. Winston-Salem 14 13,895 993
19. Mo. Southern St. 16 15,779 986
20. Colorado St.-Pueblo 16 15,067 942
21. Southeastern Okla. 13 12,166 936
22. Central Mo. 15 14,012 934
23. Southwestern Okla. 13 12,050 927
24. MSU Moorhead 14 12,537 896
25. Missouri Western 15 13,220 881
2017-18 NCAA Division II Conference Attendance Leaders
Conference Schools Games Total Average
1. MIAA 14 204 201,117 986
2. NSIC 16 229 186,105 813
3. CIAA 12 158 100,483 636
4. GAC 12 165 95,941 581
5. GLIAC 10 136 78,366 576
6. Lone Star 11 148 80,162 542
7. Peach Belt 12 166 84,469 509
8. Gulf South 13 182 92,400 508
9. SAC 11 152 67,109 442
10. RMAC 14 195 83,203 427