HAYS — In a school-zone paced game, Brandon Schneider needed a way to help his team hit the gas pedal.
The full-court press ended up working just fine — and right when the Lady Hornets needed it most.
No. 13 ESU hung on for a 68-62 victory over Fort Hays State on Wednesday, and the momentum-changer came midway through the second half.
After a Michelle Stueve free throw with 8:03 left in the game, the Lady Hornets surprised the Tigers with a full-court trap.
“We just needed something,” Schneider said, “to give us a little bit of life.”
The defensive change ended up doing exactly that.
Lacy Corker swatted away an FHSU pass, and Andrea Leiker scooped it up and put it in for a layup.
The play injected some energy into the Lady Hornets, helping them on a 10-0 run that turned a 45-42 deficit into a 52-45 advantage.
ESU wouldn’t let the lead dip under three points the rest of the way.
“We were just trying to get something going,” Schneider said. “We were kind of lifeless. We don’t like to play that slow.”
In a sloppy game, ESU managed to survive with a victory despite struggling with the change to MIAA play.
For most of the game, the Lady Hornets found themselves getting out-muscled by a smaller FHSU team.
“I think we had some kids that were a little bit surprised with not only the intensity of MIAA play but how physical the game can be,” Schneider said. “We had to kind of have a gut check and decide are we going to be physical back, or are we just going to be soft and let these guys run away with it.”
ESU fought back enough down the stretch.
The Lady Hornets’ lead grew to 60-51 on a Leiker lay-in with 1:40 left, then ESU closed it out with free throws.
Stueve made 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the final minute and also scored her team’s final seven points.
“I think most of us are just grateful to get (the win),” Stueve said.
The Lady Hornets got off to a slow start.
ESU trailed 28-26 at halftime, struggling from poor shooting and also carelessness with the basketball.
In a slow-paced and physical first 20 minutes — where neither team reached the one-and-one bonus — ESU made just 10 of its 33 shots (30 percent) and turned the ball over 14 times.
“I don’t want to say I was surprised, but in the first half, I kind of waited too long to get adjusted,” ESU forward Ida Edwards said.
Meanwhile FHSU, which came into the game with the lowest field-goal percentage in the MIAA at 37.3 percent, made 12 of 26 shots (46 percent) in the first half.
Stueve finished with a team-high 20 points, making 5 of 12 shots.
Interestingly, Stueve had ESU’s first 10 points of the game before being held scoreless in the final 13 minutes of the first half.
Edwards posted 17 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double as a Lady Hornet. Leiker also added 12 points.
Though the Lady Hornets won the rebounding battle 42-34, they had troubles getting boards down the stretch.
The Tigers had 12 offensive rebounds in the second half, including three off their own missed free throws.
“Everybody keeps asking me about our defensive rebounding and our turnovers,” Schneider said. “I’m well aware it’s a problem, and we’re working to fix it.”
The Lady Hornets finished with 23 turnovers after averaging 21 per game coming in.
“It wasn’t the prettiest win we’ve ever had,” Stueve said. “In the end, I guess the score tells the story.”
Miller done for season
Emporia State received the bad news it was expecting with Brittney Miller.
The freshman forward has a torn ACL. She will have surgery on Jan. 22 and miss the rest of the season.
Miller, who played in six games for ESU this year, should be eligible for a medical redshirt after playing in less than 20 percent of her team’s games. That means she could return next year as a freshman for basketball.
The other positive for Miller was that the MRI showed no additional damage to her knee other than the ACL tear.
After surgery, rehabilitation time usually takes between six months and a year.
Washburn reserved seats
sold out
The Emporia State ticket department announced Wednesday that all reserved seats for next Wednesday’s games against Washburn have been sold out.
General admission seats still are available for the games and can be purchased by calling the ESU ticket office at 341-NEST.
Emporia State 68, Fort Hays State 62
Wednesday at Hays
No. 13 ESU 26 42 — 68
FHSU 28 34 — 62
EMPORIA STATE (8-2, 1-0 MIAA) — Michelle Stueve 5-12 8-10 20, Ida Edwards 7-15 3-3 17, Andrea Leiker 3-11 5-7 12, Allie Renberg 2-7 3-4 7, Lacy Corker 2-5 2-2 7, Bree Kisner 1-2 0-0 2, Alli Volkens 0-0 2-2 2, Becky Zabel 0-0 1-2 1, Jamie Augustyn 0-1 0-0 0, Cassondra Boston 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-54 24-30 68.
FORT HAYS STATE (6-4, 0-1 MIAA) — Brianna Willhite 10-18 3-6 23, Naomi Bancroft 5-11 0-0 15, Sheena Kuntzsch 4-8 1-3 9, Meshia Mason 3-6 0-0 6, Kayla Klug 2-6 1-2 5, Erica Biel 1-6 2-2 4, Madison Huston 0-2 0-0 0, Ashley Cornett 0-0 0-0 0, Raychel Boling 0-0 0-0 0, Angela Long 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-59 7-13 62.
3-point goals — Emporia State 4-12 (Stueve 2-4, Corker 1-2, Leiker 1-5, Augustyn 0-1); Fort Hays State 5-19 (Bancroft 5-11, Kuntzsch 0-1, Mason 0-1, Klug 0-3, Biel 0-2, Long 0-1). Fouled out — Emporia State: None; Fort Hays State: Kuntzsch. Rebounds — Emporia State 42 (Edwards 10), Fort Hays State 31 (Mason 7). Assists — Emporia State 14 (Corker 6), Fort Hays State 19 (Mason 5). Total fouls — Emporia State 16, Fort Hays State 24. Att — 1,505.