WARRENSBURG, MO. — It didn’t take long to see the desperation in Central Missouri’s play — and the lack of it in Emporia State’s.
On the first possession Saturday night, ESU guard Jeremiah Box fumbled the ball away, and a scramble ensued. While three different Mules dived for the ball, the Hornets tried to bend over and pick it up without a knee touching the ground.
Central Missouri ended up with the ball, and a convincing 71-54 win.
“We didn’t compete plain and simple,” ESU guard Lamar Wilbern said. “We didn’t play like men tonight. They came out hungry and they played like men.”
Central Missouri needed a win in the worst way. The Mules, picked to finish second in the MIAA by the coaches in the preseason, came into the game 0-2, while Emporia State had essentially cruised to a 2-0 start in the MIAA playing at home.
“They had their backs against the wall,” ESU coach David Moe said. “And we walked in feeling like we were better than what we were, and we got embarrassed.”
The Hornets hardly resembled the high-scoring, 3-point-shooting team that had them off to a 7-1 start. They came into the game averaging 10.1 3-pointers per game and made a season-high 18 against Central Christian in their previous game.
But for the first time in Moe’s eight seasons at the school, Emporia State did not make a 3-pointer, going 0-for-12.
Central Missouri was able to take the Hornets out of their offense by playing physical with the ESU guards and not allowing them to initiate their offense. Unable to get into their passing-game offense, the ESU guards had to resort to trying to beat the Mules by going one-on-one off the dribble, while their teammates watched.
“We competed with the ball in our hands; they competed everywhere else,” Moe said. “We were trying to make plays under pressure. They pressured us and forced us to make plays that we’re not good enough to make. We tried to pressure them and they were composed and took advantage and made the plays that we should have been making.”
The Mules also prevented the ESU guards from using the ball screens that had been so effective this season in opening up 3-pointers for the team’s two leading scorers, Moores and Box.
Moores was 0-for-2 from beyond the arc and finished with seven points. Box missed his only 3-point attempt and scored four points.
“Obviously, they played better defense than what we’ve been facing,” Moe said. “We had some good looks, but you’re not going to make shots when you’re on your heels all game. ... We were 0-for-12; we deserved to be 0-for-12.”
Emporia State also had to play from behind once Central Missouri took the lead for the first time with 10:40 left in the first half, a position they had not been in since they finished the Division-I portion of their schedule.
The Hornets trailed by eight at halftime and started the second half with the ball. On their first possession, Moores’ first pass hit a UCM employee in the head at the scorer’s table, and it didn’t get much better from there.
The Mules started the half on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 15.
The Hornets would cut the lead to nine on a Tim Niles layup midway through the half, but after trading baskets, the Mules went on an 11-0 run.
“We had no control over the game,” Moe said. “We were totally reactionary and totally just dodging blows and unable to take control with any composure and give ourselves a chance to compete. We didn’t play well enough to have a chance to win, and we didn’t.”
Moe said he was not surprised by his team’s performance. He had expressed his concerns earlier in the week about his team’s inexperience on the road in the conference. With four players in the starting lineup that had never played a game on the road in the MIAA, he knew it could be a long night.
“I don’t think we were ready,” Moe said. “Just like we weren’t ready when we went to Central Oklahoma, weren’t ready when we went to Wichita State and I don’t think we were ready tonight to experience what life’s like in the MIAA against one of the top teams — against any team in the MIAA. ... It’s not the first time that we’ve been embarrassed before, but if we don’t bounce back, it’ll be the first time we didn’t bounce back. And that’s the one thing that gives me confidence.”
The Hornets will have a chance to regain their confidence on Saturday against Bethany, an NAIA team. They have 16 days between MIAA games with their next conference game at Truman on Dec. 29.
Saturday at Warrensburg, Mo.
Emporia State 23 31 — 54
Central Missouri 31 40 — 71
EMPORIA STATE (7-2, 2-1 MIAA)
Wilbern 8-16 0-1 16, Niles 3-7 6-6 12, Ping 3-5 1-2 7, Moores 2-7 3-5 7, Andrews 2-5 0-1 4, Box 2-5 0-0 4, Boswell 1-1 0-0 2, Holthaus 1-5 0-0 2, Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Allen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-51 10-15 54.
CENTRAL MISSOURI (6-2, 1-2)
Watts 9-14 0-0 18, Byrd 6-15 1-2 15, Luellen 4-7 2-7 12, Young 3-12 0-1 8, Miller 2-6 2-2 6, Frazier 1-3 2-2 4, Moosmann 2-3 0-1 4, Redel 1-3 0-0 2, Henderson,Esian 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 29-66 7-15 71.
3-point goals — Emporia State 0-12 (Wilbern 0-3, Niles 0-2, Moores 0-2, Andrews 0-3, Box 0-1, Holthaus 0-1), Central Missouri 6-18 (Byrd 2-5, Luellen 2-4, Young 2-5, Henderson 0-2, Frazier 0-1, Miller 0-1). Fouled out — Emporia State: Ping, Moores; Central Missouri: Moosmann. Rebounds — Emporia State 38 (Wilbern 13), Central Missouri 36 (Luellen 9). Assists — Emporia State 4 (Andrews 2), Central Missouri 17 (Byrd 5). Total fouls — Emporia State 22, Central Missouri 19. Att. — 1,945