For the Emporia State Lady Hornets, it’s time to let go of Harris-Stowe.
After suffering its first home non-conference loss in 12 years — a 58-51 defeat to the NAIA Hornets on Saturday — No. 14 ESU will look to move on and move forward.
For the players and coaches, it’s a little easier said than done.
“I think obviously they’re upset with the outcome of the game, and they’re embarrassed, just as the coaching staff is,” ESU coach Brandon Schneider said. “You’ve just got to get back up and keep fighting.”
ESU still is suffering through growing pains this year after adding seven new faces to a 14-player roster.
What might have hurt most, though, is that the Lady Hornets graduated almost all their forwards last year.
Take out senior Michelle Stueve, who is listed as a forward but plays more as a guard or a wing, and the Lady Hornets have only one forward who has been on campus for longer than one semester — and she can’t even play yet.
Transfer Ida Edwards was able to practice with ESU during the second semester last year, but she won’t be eligible to play until the Lady Hornets’ trip to Hawaii next week.
The other five players that have played forward for ESU this year — Becky Zabel, Brittney Miller, Allie Renberg, Alli Volkens and Bree Kisner — are in their first year with the program.
“We’ve not ever been through a situation where we’ve had an entirely new front line. I think that has been a challenge,” Schneider said. “Those individuals are just getting comfortable with what their role is and what’s expected of them.”
Schneider also believed maybe his players were trying to fix too many things at once.
Instead of just saying they need to “play better,” Schneider wants his players to find their role then focus on doing it the best they can.
A defensive stopper, for example, needs to work to get deflections, take charges, box out every possession and take pride in doing all those things well.
Those self-improvements, Schneider said, would go a long way toward helping the success of the team.
ESU’s opponent on Friday, Central Methodist, enters with a 3-7 record but did defeat Evangel earlier this year, 75-66.
The Lady Hornets beat Evangel, 82-54, at White Auditorium on Dec. 3.
Schneider said he expected to see Central Methodist play plenty of zone defense. In ESU’s two losses — against Central Oklahoma and Harris-Stowe — the Lady Hornets had problems scoring against the defensive set.
“I think in our next couple ballgames we can assume we’re going to see a lot of zone,” Schneider said. “Hopefully, we’ll execute a little bit better.”
ESU will face another test inside, as Central Methodist’s top two scorers are forwards.
Holly Wade (5-foot-10 senior) is averaging 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Danielle Boraz (6-foot sophomore) has posted 17.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per outing.
The Lady Hornets should be short-handed once again, as point guard Cassondra Boston most likely will miss her second straight game with a sprained ankle.
Boston has not yet practiced with the team since sustaining her injury, and Schneider said the hope was that the sophomore could return for ESU’s games in Hawaii on Monday and Tuesday.
The unusual 4 p.m. tip time came about because of scheduling difficulties at White Auditorium. The late afternoon start is needed to allow the Auditorium staff time to reconfigure from the Seasonal Celebration on Thursday to basketball Friday to ESU’s Winter Commencement on Saturday.
• Free children's tickets (8th grade and younger) for Friday's game are available at The Emporia Gazette office, 517 Merchant St.