That kind of night: ESU women dominate Pittsburg State, 94-49
By Jesse Newell
Thursday, February 21, 2008
PITTSBURG — Emporia State’s best basketball of the season started with an errant lob pass.
After setting up a play for Ida Edwards to get the ball underneath the basket, coach Brandon Schneider watched as Michelle Stueve lofted a pass toward the rim.
One that unexpectedly swished through the net for three points.
“I didn’t really see it because I was so mad that I knew it wasn’t going to be a good pass to her (Edwards),” Stueve said with a smile. “I didn’t have any idea it would go in.”
It was that kind of night for the Lady Hornets, who rolled to a 94-49 victory over Pittsburg State on Wednesday at John Lance Arena.
The Lady Hornets started the second half with an astounding 31-1 run, pushing a 40-29 halftime lead all the way to 71-30.
It was helped early by Stueve’s accidental three, which brought a laugh from Schneider and also smiles and high-fives from Stueve’s teammates.
“That’s a play that has worked for us one time this year. I guess that would be two since it went in,” Schneider said with a grin. “Michelle is a lot closer to making those baskets than she is throwing that alley-oop pass where we’d like her to.”
Very little — in fact, maybe nothing — went wrong for the Lady Hornets in the first 9 minutes after halftime.
ESU’s defense forced seven turnovers and held the Gorillas to 0-for-11 shooting to start the second half.
“I thought we came out in the second half and just had our minds set that we were going to get on them,” ESU guard Becky Zabel said. “We were going to be tough.”
PSU didn’t score its first field goal of the half until the 10:38 mark.
By then, ESU had put it well out of reach by scoring in almost any way possible.
Stueve had two threes from the outside — and one more that was supposed to be a pass. Edwards had four layups, one coming on a better lob pass from Lacy Corker.
When it was all said and done, ESU had 13-0 and 18-0 runs separated only by a Linda Igbinigie free throw at the 16:21 mark.
“That was really fun,” Zabel said. “It was a lot of fun playing out there.”
The Lady Hornets responded after being challenged by Schneider at halftime.
ESU led 40-29 at the break but had no field goals in the final 5 minutes, 38 seconds of the half. The Lady Hornets also were out-rebounded in the first 20 minutes, 23-22.
“We really talked a lot at halftime about playing stronger, playing tougher,” Schneider said. “We felt like they really beat us to a lot of loose balls. Rebounds we got our hands on, they took from us.
“We didn’t feel like there was any reason Pitt should be any hungrier than we are.”
ESU responded by taking control in its eighth consecutive victory, building its lead to as large as 51 points in the second half.
Andrea Leiker led the Lady Hornets, tying her career-high with 22 points. She went 5-for-6 from three-point line, and at one point even let out a groan in the second half after Schneider called a timeout when she was about to launch another three.
Stueve added 20 points, going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Zabel also contributed her most complete outing. The junior had season highs in points (8), rebounds (9) and steals (5). Her five steals were the most by a Lady Hornet this season.
“All week, they’ve been getting on me about playing better off-the-ball defense — keeping my eyes open and looking around,” Zabel said. “Tonight, I was really trying to make sure I stayed in the passing lanes.”
The ESU victory sets up a first-place showdown with No. 17 Washburn on Saturday in Topeka. The winner will have sole possession of the top spot in the MIAA with two games remaining in the regular season.
Emporia State women 94, Pittsburg State 49
Wednesday at Pittsburg
No. 18 ESU 40 54 — 94
Pittsburg St. 29 20 — 49
EMPORIA STATE (19-5, 12-3 MIAA) — Becky Zabel 4-5 0-0 8, Michelle Stueve 7-12 1-2 20, Ida Edwards 4-7 3-4 11, Cassondra Boston 4-11 4-4 14, Andrea Leiker 7-12 3-4 22, Jamie Augustyn 1-6 0-0 2, Lacy Corker 1-3 0-0 2, Tina Commons 0-2 0-0 0, Bree Kisner 2-4 1-2 5, Kayla Krueger 0-0 0-0 0, Allie Renberg 0-3 4-5 4, Alli Volkens 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 33-69 16-21 94.
PITTSBURG STATE (10-14, 4-11 MIAA) — Marissa Poppe 2-8 2-2 8, Laura Glenn 1-7 6-8 8, Caitlin Demarest 2-11 0-0 4, Brianna Buchanan 3-8 2-3 8, DePrice Taylor 4-13 1-4 9, Liz Witte 1-3 0-0 3, Bailey Waugh 1-5 1-2 4, Linda Igbinigie 2-7 1-2 5, Emily Sloan 0-1 0-0 0, Katelyn Hinkin 0-1 0-0 0, Samantha Troutman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-64 13-21 49.
3-point goals — ESU 12-24 (Stueve 5-7, Boston 2-5, Leiker 5-6, Augustyn 0-3, Commons 0-2, Kisner 0-1), PSU 4-14 (Poppe 2-2, Demarest 0-2, Buchanan 0-1, Taylor 0-1, Witte 1-3, Waugh 1-3, Sloan 0-1). Rebounds — ESU 51 (Zabel 9), PSU 38 (Glenn 9). Assists — ESU 21 (Boston 6), PSU 8 (Poppe, Glenn, Taylor 2). Turnovers — ESU 18, PSU 24. Total fouls — ESU 20, PSU 16. Fouled out — None. Att — 1,107.