Photo by Carly Pearson
Emporia State's Andrew Davison lifts his jersey over his head while being forced to watch from the bench after fouling out in overtime of Wednesday night’s game against Newman University. Davison hit a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime, but the Hornets lost, 93-89.
Emporia High coach Rick Bloomquist put his hands on Lucas Morgan’s shoulders and told him that he’d done well, told his former player he was proud of him.
Morgan could only smile.
On a night filled with so much yelling and screaming, it was Morgan and the Newman Jets who ended up making the most noise of all.
The Emporia High graduate hit a back-breaking 3-pointer from the corner in overtime, giving Newman the lead for good in its 93-89 overtime victory over the No. 7 Emporia State Hornets on Wednesday.
“They kicked it to me, and I was uncovered,” Morgan said. “I was like, ‘Man, if you don’t make this shot ...’ I hit that, and it was just a rush that I haven’t experienced in a while.”
Newman, a team in its final year of transition into Division II, finished 17-of-32 (53 percent) from three-point range.
Still, Newman’s inspired play only told half the story.
While trying to stage a comeback in regulation, ESU gave away six points in the final 2:05 because of technical fouls.
The first came from DeAndre Townsend, who picked up his second T in three games by saying something in the lane during a free throw.
Technicals 2 and 3 came from a blow-up by ESU coach David Moe.
The Hornets had the ball and were down just 70-67 with 54.6 seconds remaining when Moe was given a technical for giving words to an official. The seventh-year ESU coach went ballistic, walking onto the court to scream at the same official before getting his second technical and automatic ejection.
Photo by Carly Pearson
An angry Coach Moe yells at an official Wednesday night at White Auditorium before being removed from the Emporia State Newman game. Moe knocked over the opposing team's Gatorade on his way out of the game. The Hornets lost to Newman, 93-89 in overtime.
He wasn’t done. Moe went face-to-face with each official, then knocked over the Newman cooler on his way off the court. Play was stopped momentarily while players and coaches soaked up the Gatorade on the floor with towels.
Suddenly, a manageable three-point deficit ballooned into a 74-67 lead for Newman after four Kyle Smith free throws.
“It’s a tough deal. The technicals ... it was difficult, obviously, to make up the points, but at some point you’ve got to stand up for yourself,” ESU assistant coach Ben McCollum said. “He didn’t feel like the officiating was correct. You’ve got to let them know about it. He might have lost his temper over it, but he did what he thought was right, and that’s what he’s going to stand by.”
Somehow, some way, ESU still managed to get back into it — even without its two best players.
Wes Book injured his thumb earlier in the game, and DeAndre Townsend succumbed to leg cramps after a drive on the next ESU possession.
After two consecutive steals, ESU closed the gap to 74-71 with 32.4 seconds left.
Marvin Lee fouled out with 20 seconds remaining, but Caleb Tegtmeier hit a step-back 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 77-76 with 12.1 seconds remaining.
After two Newman free throws, it was Andrew Davison’s turn to be the hero.
With ESU down 79-76, he took the inbounds pass and came all the way up the floor, curling around a Jordan Fithian screen to put up a 25-foot 3-pointer.
The shot rattled in with 2.7 seconds left, sending the ESU fans into a frenzy while Davison screamed out in satisfaction.
“It felt good when it left my hand,” Davison said. “I was pumped.”
Smith’s half-court shot at the buzzer hit off the rim to send the game to overtime.
With only two of its original starters in, ESU grabbed an 84-81 lead before Newman’s Cole Elliott hit a three to tie it.
Morgan’s trey with 1:18 left gave Newman its final lead.
“I saw him open,” said Tegtmeier, who played at EHS with Morgan. “He’s a big-shot guy — he made a lot of big shots for us in high school. I saw him open down there in the corner.
“I was just hoping he missed.”
Newman hit its final six free throws to seal it.
ESU, which shot a season-low 37.3 percent, lost despite forcing 30 Newman turnovers.
Townsend led ESU, scoring 24 points in his 35 minutes before cramping.
Photo by Carly Pearson
Emporia State's Jordan Fithian looks to the basket while being guarded by Newman's Lucas Morgan Wednesday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets lost to Newman, 93-89, in overtime.
Tegtmeier stepped up with some of his teammates absent, scoring 23 points, which included 4-of-6 shooting from the three-point line.
“I was just throwing up stuff, and it was going in,” Tegtmeier said. “I haven’t shot like that in a while.”
Davison, Lee and Fithian each had 12 each for ESU.
Book, meanwhile, went down midway through the first half after hitting his right thumb hard on the floor while diving for a loose ball.
During the play, his thumb was gashed and also dislocated, with some of the bone tendons becoming visible. Tegtmeier called the sight “one of the grossest things I’ve ever seen.”
Book received seven stitches and did not return. It’s likely that he could be out for several weeks.
Morgan finished with eight points for Newman (6-1), which picked up its biggest win of the early season.
“A lot of people are still overlooking us just for the fact that we are a new Division II team,” Morgan said. “A lot of people think we’re still just going to kind of be a cakewalk.
“We’re making some noise lately.”
And the most noise on a loud Wednesday night at White Auditorium.
Newman 93, Emporia State 89, OT
Wednesday at White Auditorium
1 2 OT
Newman 34 45 14 — 93
No. 7 ESU 31 48 10 — 89
NEWMAN (6-1)
Kyle Smith 6-10 10-10 28, Cole Elliott 7-9 2-2 20, Jarvis Jackson 2-4 8-8 14, Camilo Londono 3-6 4-7 13, Lucas Morgan 2-4 2-4 8, Ryan Bradley 3-8 1-2 7, Caleb Fine 1-9 0-0 2, John Maier 0-0 1-2 1, Ochigbo Ameh 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Brigham 0-2 0-0 0, Andy Hill 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-52 28-35 93.
EMPORIA STATE (4-1)
DeAndre Townsend 8-17 8-8 24, Caleb Tegtmeier 6-10 7-7 23, Jordan Fithian 4-11 4-6 12, Marvin Lee 4-15 3-4 12, Andrew Davison 4-10 1-2 12, Dustin Andrews 1-4 1-2 3, Spencer Allen 1-1 1-2 3, Matt Boswell 0-4 0-0 0, Wes Book 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 28-75 25-31 89.
3-point goals — Newman 17-32 (Smith 6-10, Elliott 4-4, Londono 3-5, Morgan 2-4, Jackson 2-2, Fine 0-7); Emporia State 8-26 (Tegtmeier 4-6, Davison 3-8, Lee 1-3, Boswell 0-2, Book 0-1, Andrews 0-2, Townsend 0-4). Fouled out — Newman: Smith, Londono; Emporia State: Lee, Davison. Rebounds — Newman 43 (Bradley 10), Emporia State 34 (Lee 7). Assists — Newman 16 (Smith 4), Emporia State 13 (Townsend 4). Total fouls — Newman 23, Emporia State 27. Att —1638.
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