WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Carolyn Dorsey’s final shot seemed to summarize all the frustrations for the Emporia State women’s basketball team Saturday night against Central Missouri.
With her team down four and just 10 seconds left, Dorsey side-stepped her defender at the top of the lane and found a clear path to the basket.
After two steps, she was under the hoop, putting a shot up off the glass before anyone could help on defense.
The lay-in rolled off the front rim, continuing a disheartening pattern that played ESU all night in its 65-59 loss to UCM.
In all, the shot chart showed the Lady Hornets missed 12 layups — with nine of those coming in the second half.
“We missed layup after layup,” ESU coach Brandon Schneider said. “We just didn’t play with the kind of focus and concentration that you have to.”
Just one week after routing No. 2 Missouri Western 83-63 by attacking offensively, ESU looked as timid as it had been all season in the second half against Central.
The Lady Hornets shot just 10-of-38 (26 percent) in the final 20 minutes and only attempted eight free throws in the game.
Central, meanwhile, had 24 free-throw attempts.
“It was just altogether a very poor performance on our part,” Schneider said. “I thought we were extremely soft on the offensive end.”
Most of Schneider’s frustrations came from the play of his forwards.
Though Central played a four-guard lineup for most of the contest — giving up size down low in exchange for speed — the Jennies were still able to out-rebound ESU, 42-39.
“Our post players have been non-existent the last three games,” a visibly upset Schneider said. “We’ve gotten absolutely nothing out of them.”
The struggles carried over to the offensive end, where Casey Henningsen, Genae Glasper and Denisa Svarova combined for just 12 points.
The group averages a combined 25 points per contest.
ESU actually started well, leading by as many as 13 in the first half on its way to a 33-23 halftime advantage.
The Lady Hornets never could get the knockout blow, however, and Central crept its way back in the second half.
Five- and six-point runs helped Central cut the deficit to 47-45 with 8:53 remaining, though it still seemed as if ESU was in control.
“One time I looked at the scoreboard, and it was a two-point game, and I didn’t even realize it,” ESU guard Andrea Leiker said. “They were just hanging around. We just let them hang around.”
A Cassondra Boston driving bank-shot made it 57-53 with 3:36 remaining before UCM made its final push.
Led by four points from Meagan Fromm, the Jennies outscored ESU 12-2 the rest of the way.
Michelle Stueve led ESU, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
The All-American shouldered responsibility for ESU’s offensive troubles.
“I’ll take the blame before anybody,” Stueve said. “We were looking for somebody to step up and not make miracle shots, but just make the layups, and I was one of the worst ones.”
Leiker and Dorsey both added 10 points.
Though she was expected to be held out with a foot injury, Lindsey Maple was the catalyst for Central, scoring a game-high 18 points.
She sat out the team’s previous contest against Fort Hays State.
With UCM’s third consecutive victory in the series, Dave Slifer improved his record to 4-4 against ESU as coach of the Jennies.
Saturday at Warrensburg, Mo.
UCM Multipurpose Building
No. 10 Emporia State 33 26 — 59
Central Missouri 23 42 — 65
EMPORIA STATE (17-5, 10-3 MIAA)
Stueve 6-16 0-0 12; Leiker 4-12 2-2 10; Dorsey 3-9 3-4 10; Boston 3-10 0-0 8; Svarova 2-3 0-0 4; Glasper 2-8 0-0 4; Henningsen 2-4 0-0 4; Stuart 1-3 1-2 4; Corker 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 24-68 6-8 59.
CENTRAL MISSOURI (13-9, 6-7 MIAA)
Maple 5-13 6-8 18; Fromm 5-12 3-3 14; Millham 4-8 0-0 9; Schoenfeld 2-7 3-5 7; Cook 1-5 3-4 6; Jones 3-4 0-0 6; Battle 1-7 3-4 5; Vincent 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-56 18-24 65.
3-point goals — Emporia State 5-17 (Boston 2-4; Corker 1-1; Dorsey 1-3; Stuart 1-2; Leiker 0-2; Stueve 0-5). Central Missouri 5-17 (Maple 2-5; Fromm 1-2; Millham 1-2; Cook 1-5; Battle 0-2; Schoenfeld 0-1). Fouled out — Emporia State: Henningsen. Central Missouri — None. Rebounds — Emporia State 39 (Stueve 9), Central Missouri 42 (Fromm 8). Assists — Emporia State 11 (Boston 5), Central Missouri 12 (Millham 3; Battle 3). Total fouls — Emporia State 23, Central Missouri 14. Att — 2500.