Emporia State women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider is looking for 40 good minutes from his team — all coming in a row.
It’s a goal the Lady Hornets hope to accomplish for the first time this season tonight at home against Missouri Valley.
“It’s every team’s challenge and every coach’s challenge,” Schneider said, “to bring it every possession.”
ESU has failed to do that in each of its previous two regular-season outings, leaving the coach disappointed with his players’ effort despite 27- and 25-point victories to start off the year.
The most difficult stretch came in the first half of Saturday’s game against Southwestern Oklahoma State. ESU started slow and with little intensity, falling behind SWOSU 29-23 before picking up the pace and scoring 56 points in the second half.
“Our team sometimes has a tendency to just play half speed,” ESU junior Michelle Stueve said. “I don’t know what it is. I don’t think we do it on purpose, but some of the time we’re good, and some of the time we’re really off.”
Tipoff is set for 5:30 at White Auditorium. It will be part of a nonconference doubleheader, as the ESU men take on Baker in the nightcap.
Other points of emphasis for Schneider are running the floor better and also getting more looks for the post players.
ESU’s transition game became its best offense in the final 20 minutes against Southwestern, as the coach urged his players to sprint after each defensive rebound.
The change worked, as the Lady Hornets had 12 fast-break points in the second half after mustering just two in the first.
“We want to get the ball out and run,” Schneider said. “We feel like we have good depth, and we feel like we’re in good condition.”
The coach also would like to see forwards Casey Henningsen and Denisa Svarova become a bigger part of the offense. Both can score and both are good passers inside.
“We need to make sure when those guys are open,” Schneider said, “they touch the ball a little bit.”
Missouri Valley — from Marshall, Mo. — comes in with a 1-5 record. The NAIA team already was defeated by Northwest Missouri by 32 points on Saturday.
The Preseason All-American Stueve has led the Lady Hornets through two games, averaging a team-high 24 points and nine rebounds.
True freshman Cassondra Boston also has pulled her weight at the point-guard position, averaging 12 points per contest. Against SWOSU last game, she put together an eight-assist, one-turnover performance.
ESU defeated Missouri Valley, 110-59, in last year’s season-opener. Henningsen had a game-high 24 points in that matchup.
On the men’s side, ESU will take on Baker in its third game of the year.
The Hornets are fresh off an impressive road victory on Saturday, defeating Northeastern (Okla.) State 75-70 in Tahlequah, Okla..
Now Baker — with a 5-3 record overall — will provide the next challenge, coming from the NAIA ranks.
“It’ll be a good test for us,” Coach David Moe said, “especially coming off a big win.”
Moe has been pleased with his team’s progress all season after suffering through a tough year in 2005-06.
He was especially satisfied against Northeastern, where his team scrapped and clawed in a game that had six ties and 14 lead changes.
“Even if we had lost, we knew we were going to have success,” Moe said, “because we do too many of the right things on and off the floor.”
Senior guard Donta Watson has led ESU through the first two games, averaging 17.5 points. He is joined by fellow transfers Jordan Fithian (13.5 points per game) and DeAndre Townsend (13.0 ppg) as the Hornets’ top scorers.