Emporia State coach David Moe wasn’t content to let his players’ first half beat them in the second half as well.
So, after seeing the long faces and dejected looks in the halftime locker room, he gave his team a short speech.
He might want to remember it for future reference, because the Hornets dominated the second half in a 78-55 victory over Nebraska-Omaha.
“I give a lot of credit to him,” ESU forward Ed Desir said, “because at halftime, we were really putting our heads down.”
ESU (7-0) came out inspired to start the second half after leading 32-28 at intermission. Donta Watson put in a runner, and Wes Book backed that with a 3-pointer from the right side and a putback on an offensive rebound.
Book’s Emporia High teammate, Caleb Tegtmeier, scored on a quick spin move, then later hit a three from the left side to complete a 12-0 run to start the half that pushed the lead to 44-28.
“We wanted to get out there and run,” Book said, “and put out a lot of energy in the second half.”
The Hornets were able to accomplish that, outscoring UNO 46-27 in the final 20 minutes.
The team was left frustrated at the end of the first half because of an inconsistent offensive effort.
Jordan Fithian helped give ESU the lead early. Nebraska-Omaha refused to double-team him in post, and the 6-foot-6 forward scored on three straight possessions, giving the Hornets a 15-9 advantage.
ESU went into an offensive lull after that, scoring just eight points over the next eight minutes. Denny Johnston’s turn-around jumper gave UNO a brief 22-21 lead.
“Offensively, we stood around, waited,” Moe said, “and just took turns shooting the ball.”
The Hornets responded with a 7-0 run, with Donta Watson’s floater off the glass and subsequent free throw making it 28-22.
UNO’s Michael Jenkins hit a guarded trey just before the halftime buzzer to cut the lead to four.
“We didn’t let things go that happened to us offensively,” Moe said. “You feel a little bit sorry for yourself as an individual, and that carries over to everybody else.”
It didn’t have a carryover effect for long, as the coach’s encouraging words turned out to be exactly what the Hornets needed. ESU held UNO to just seven points in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
“He just wanted us to stop moping around,” Desir said. “We know that we can play.”
Two players that turned their games around drastically after halftime were Book and DeAndre Townsend.
Book became more assertive, scoring 13 points and adding three rebounds and a pair of assists in the final 20 minutes.
Townsend, meanwhile, entered the break with just two points on 0-of-4 shooting from the field. That all changed in the second half, as the guard hit 5-of-9 shots for 15 points to go with three rebounds.
Book led all scorers with 21 points in 33 minutes. With his strong second half, Townsend contributed 17, while Watson added 11.
Also hitting double figures was Desir, who finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The senior was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.
“I didn’t plan on that,” Desir said. “I just let the game come to me. I didn’t force anything.”
ESU snapped UNO’s four-game winning streak.
The victory sets up an important matchup with No. 15 Fort Hays State on Saturday. The Tigers (5-1) were picked to finish second in the MIAA this season.