In baseball, Bree Kisner might be called a pinch runner. Or a defensive specialist.
In basketball, she’s found minutes in her own role for the Emporia State Lady Hornets.
“I’m kind of just like a utility player,” Kisner said with a smile. “Wherever they need me to play, I’ll play there.”
Kisner’s play helped spark the Lady Hornets on Monday, as she scored nine points in a season-high 21 minutes in No. 7 ESU’s 82-54 victory over Evangel at White Auditorium.
The freshman’s versatility was especially apparent in the first half.
For a while, the 5-foot-9 guard stepped into the post to play power forward — and had some success doing it.
She had a pair of tough lay-ins over defenders in the opening 13 minutes before changing her role again.
Kisner — along with Lacy Corker — filled in at point guard after Cassondra Boston injured her ankle.
“Bree sees it as her opportunity to get on the floor,” ESU coach Brandon Schneider said. “It’s just going to get tougher and tougher to get kids minutes when (forward) Ida (Edwards) steps on the floor. When you’re a complementary player, you’ve got to be able to play multiple positions and you have to be able to do the little things.”
Kisner will be relied upon much more if Boston misses a significant amount of time.
The sophomore, who is ESU’s second-leading scorer with 12.4 points per game, landed on an Evangel player’s foot on a drive midway through the first half.
She was taken for X-rays Monday night, and Schneider said he’d know more on her status later this week.
The Lady Hornets, meanwhile, were able to pull away with defense.
ESU (4-1) held Evangel to 36.4 percent shooting and also forced 26 Crusader turnovers.
At one point in the second half, the Lady Hornets kept Evangel (2-4) without a field goal for a 9-minute stretch.
“We just looked like a team that wanted to get stops and took a lot more pride in it than we have in the first four ballgames,” Schneider said.
The Lady Hornets also received a boost from All-American Michelle Stueve when they needed it.
Up 27-24 in the first half, Stueve scored the next seven points for ESU, helping the Lady Hornets build an 11-point halftime lead.
“When our team’s struggling and we need something to happen,” Stueve said, “I try to step it up a little bit.”
With her game-high 22 points, Stueve moved into the MIAA’s top 10 in scoring, passing Washburn’s Brooke Ubelaker. She also passed Tara Holloway for third on ESU’s all-time scoring list.
“This year, I kind of have a different perspective: Take every game like it’s your last,” Stueve said. “Every time I step out on our home floor, I just think I don’t have very many left here. I just try to play as hard as I can.”
ESU dominated the inside, out-scoring Evangel 40-14 in the paint.
A lot of that production came from reserve Allie Renberg, who had 16 points and five rebounds in just 16 minutes.
Andrea Leiker added 13 points for ESU.
Emporia State 82, Evangel 54
Monday at White Auditorium
Evangel 26 28 — 54
No. 7 ESU 37 45 — 82
Evangel (2-4)
Caitlin Russell 4-8 3-4 15, Megan Jewell 4-8 0-2 8, Kelsie Hargus 2-6 1-2 7, Brianna Mingus 3-11 0-0 7, Ashlee Lusko 3-4 0-0 6, Kate Prentice 1-3 2-2 4, Michelle Michener 2-3 0-0 4, Katie Burger 1-6 0-0 2, Samantha Haraldson 0-4 1-2 1, Danielle Noah 0-2 0-0 0, Lindsey Burnett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 7-12 54.
Emporia State (4-1)
Michelle Stueve 9-12 0-1 22, Allie Renberg 6-9 4-6 16, Andrea Leiker 5-8 2-2 13, Bree Kisner 4-6 1-1 9, Alli Volkens 4-7 1-1 9, Brittney Miller 1-9 4-7 6, Jamie Augustyn 1-4 2-2 5, Lacy Corker 1-4 0-0 2, Becky Zabel 0-1 0-0 0, Cassondra Boston 0-4 0-1 0. Totals 31-64 14-21 82.
3-point goals — Evangel 7-17 (Russell 4-6, Hargus 2-2, Mingus 1-5, Haraldson 0-2, Lusko 0-1, Jewell 0-1); Emporia State 6-15 (Stueve 4-6, Augustyn 1-4, Leiker 1-3, Boston 0-2). Fouled out — Evangel: None; Emporia State: None. Rebounds — Evangel 30 (Hargus, Burger 5), Emporia State 42 (Stueve 8). Assists — Evangel 12 (Lusko, Russell 4), Emporia State 21 (Corker 8). Total fouls — Evangel 20, Emporia State 12. Att — 1849.