From ESU Sports
Don Weast, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
PITTSBURG – The #5 Lady Hornets closed the game on an 11-3 run to take a 78-70 win at #3 Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan. on New Year’s Eve. In a game befitting it’s top five status there were 16 ties and 20 lead changes in the non-conference matchup.
Emporia State scored the first five points of the game only to see Pittsburg State respond with a 9-2 run to take a 9-7 lead with 6:16 left in the first. After a 16-16 tie with 2:48 left the Gorillas ended the period on a 6-2 run to take a four point lead into the second quarter.
The second period saw three ties and eight lead changes. Pitt State took a four point lead at 35-31 with 1:54 left before Kathryn Flott scored five straight to give the Lady Hornets a 36-35 lead with 39 seconds left. Mikaela Burgess hit a layup with under five seconds left to give the Gorillas a one point lead at the break.
Neither team was able to take more than a three-point lead in the third quarter. Burgess hit two free throws with 8:12 left to give Pitt State a 39-36 lead before Jessica Wayne hit one of two free throws and Megan Holloway buried a three-pointer for a 40-39 Lady Hornet lead with 7:22 left in the period. That would be the first of five lead changes in the period to go with three ties. Kelly Moten had a steal and assisted Addie Lackey on a fast break layup with 42 seconds left as Emporia State took a 52-50 lead into the final ten minutes.
Lackey hit a three-pointer with 9:20 left to give Emporia State a 55-51 lead. Pitt State then went on an 8-3 run to take a 59-58 lead with 7:26 left on a Burgess jumper. With the Gorillas leading 63-61, Moten scored on a layup and Kyrstie Miller hit a jumper to give the Lady Hornets a 65-63 lead with 4:05 remaining. Moten hit a layup in between two Hadyn Herlocker buckets as the score was tied at 67 with 3:15 left.
Moten and Flott would then combine on an 8-0 run with each of them getting old fashioned three-point plays to give Emporia State a 75-67 lead with 47.9 seconds left. After a Madison Northcutt layup cut the lead to six with 33 seconds left, Jacee Kramer and Lackey combined to hit three of four free throws to give Emporia State their biggest lead of the night at 78-69 with 13.8 seconds left.
Moten finished with 27 points, seven assists, four rebounds and four steals. Flott had 19 points and 15 rebounds in her first start since missing eight games with a broken bone in her wrist. They were joined in double figures by Lackey with 12 points.
The Lady Hornets will have the next six days to prepare for the Turnpike Tussle as Washburn comes to White Auditorium on Jan. 7. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.