No Fun for No. 1
Lady Hornets avoid huge upset to Harris-Stowe in 1st game with top ranking
By Jesse Newell
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The Emporia State Lady Hornets learned just a few minutes before they hit the court Tuesday that they had earned the No. 1 ranking in the latest WBCA Coaches’ Poll.
After 40 minutes against Harris-Stowe, they learned it’s going to take a lot more to stay there.
ESU survived a scare on Tuesday, with Andrea Leiker’s free throws putting the game away in the final seconds of an 83-79 Lady Hornet victory.
It was ESU’s first-ever win as a No. 1-ranked team.
“It’s nice to be in that spot,” ESU junior Michelle Stueve said, “but we have a lot to prove to say we’re No. 1.”
That’s especially the case after ESU’s performance against Harris-Stowe, an NAIA team that came into the game with a 2-7 record.
Things looked promising early for the Lady Hornets, as a 16-0 first-half run — keyed by six points from Denisa Svarova — gave ESU a comfortable 27-9 lead. The Lady Hornets extended that advantage to 48-30 at halftime.
ESU didn’t have the same intensity in half two. Harris-Stowe used a 15-2 run to cut the deficit to 54-49 with 10:25 remaining and force an ESU timeout.
“We kept feeding their confidence,” ESU coach Brandon Schneider said, “rather than playing well enough to put the game away.”
From there, Harris-Stowe caught fire. HSSU hit five 3-pointers in the next eight minutes, capped by a bank-shot three by Lanlya Stevens that trimmed the ESU lead to 75-73 with 1:30 left.
“Not only did they have the open looks,” Stueve said, “they hit about every one they got.”
HSSU pulled to within two points on four different occasions in the final 1:30 of the game. Each time, ESU had an answer.
Stueve hit two free throws to make it 77-73 with 1:12 remaining. After a pair of HSSU free throws, Casey Henningsen contributed a turn-around in the lane to push the lead to 79-75 with 46 seconds left.
Stevens followed an offensive rebound with a lay-in for HSSU, and ESU’s Cassondra Boston was fouled on the subsequent possession with 29.2 seconds remaining.
“I’ve been working on (free throws) all week,” Boston said, “so I knew I just had to get up there and focus.”
The freshman made both shots, giving ESU an 81-77 advantage.
But Chanel Ross quickly responded, driving to the lane and making a scoop shot to again cut the lead to two.
With 16.2 seconds left, Leiker hit two clutch free throws to make it 83-79.
Erica Anderson’s subsequent shot missed, and ESU escaped with its fourth victory.
“We’re happy to get the win,” Stueve said. “We’re lucky to get the win.”
ESU was outscored 49-35 in the second half, thanks mostly to incredible shooting by Harris-Stowe.
HSSU made 7 of 11 shots from beyond the arc (64 percent), finishing the game 13 of 23 (57 percent) from three-point range.
Though Schneider had complimented his team earlier this week on reducing turnovers, he saw some of those same ghosts haunt ESU on Tuesday.
ESU had 23 giveaways that turned into 24 Harris-Stowe points.
The Lady Hornets especially had difficulties getting by HSSU’s Ross, who registered nine steals.
“We just had a hard time taking care of the ball,” Boston said. “That’s something we need to improve on.”
Stueve once again had an All-American-like performance, posting 28 points and 15 rebounds in 35 minutes of play. She had 14 points and eight rebounds in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the game, earning her double-double 25 seconds into the second half.
Boston added 14 points and five assists.
This is only the second time in school history that ESU has been ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Lady Hornets said they are still trying to adjust.
“It means everybody team is going to come out and play their hardest against us,” Boston said. “They’re going to make shots they don’t normally make. They’re just going to be ready to play us and excited to play us.”
“It shouldn’t add pressure,” Stueve said, “but it definitely does.”
Schneider didn’t believe the poll affected his team’s play on Tuesday. He said it might even be beneficial to his squad in the long run.
“It might as well be us, if somebody’s got to be there,” Schneider said. “If that adds pressure to practice well everyday, and focus everytime you step on the floor when you understand you’re going to get the other team’s best effort, then it could turn out to be a good thing.”