When Emporia State forward Doug Moore sprained his ankle on Jan. 13, he said the trainers told him he would be back in one to three weeks.
Moore was pushing for a week, and he wouldn’t leave ESU head trainer John Baxter alone until he gave him the OK.
“I kept telling Doc that I wanted to be back in a few days, and he said, ‘No, no. It’s going to be a little longer,’” Moore said. “As soon as I felt like I could run, I just did it.”
Emporia State’s struggles during Moore’s absence increased his impatience. The Hornets went 1-3 without the junior big man on the floor and lost three straight for the first time all season.
Moore was not necessarily a staple in coach David Moe’s rotation. Before the injury, he averaged 9.2 minutes per game. However with Shang Ping’s minutes decreasing and the team’s ever-increasing dependence on sophomore Adam Holthaus, Moore provided much-needed depth.
“It makes a difference having him back, just gives us more depth and other options,” Moe said. “He’s got experience. He’s had some good times last year and he’s been a lot better this year. It’s good to have him back.”
Moe added that he’s probably overused Holthaus recently — he played 31 minutes last Wednesday at Missouri Western — and it also helps having Moore back in practice. Holthaus and Ping are the team’s only other posts and they were having to take all of the reps in practice.
When Moore has gotten a chance this season in games, he has produced. He averages 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 points in only 9.2 minutes per game. His rebounds per minute average (0.37) is the best on the team. Moore is also a guy who Moe can trust to play his role and not try to do anymore.
“My strength is screen-setting and rebounding, trying to get other guys open,” Moore said. “Whatever I can do to help our scorers score and rebounders rebound and do my best.”
Moore is also one of Emporia State’s most effective defenders in the post, where he’s able to throw his weight around and hold his ground. That will be exactly what the Hornets need tonight against first-place Central Missouri. The Mules gave the Hornets their first conference loss this season, 71-54, and power forward Sanijay Watts scored a game-high 18 points.
Watts scored most of his points from the post and the Hornets struggled to push him off the block. Moore only played two minutes in that game and he could play a larger role with Watts coming on strong as of late. Watts is the Mules second-leading scorer at 14.1 points per game and was the MIAA player of the week last week, averaging 23.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
“They beat us the last game with their defense and transition and a lot of blow-bys on the perimeter,” Moe said. “Their big guys were a benefactor of a lot of that stuff, and now they’re going inside a lot more, directly inside. Anytime you get a player back, it gives you a better opportunity.”
That player, of course, is Moore, who might be the best matchup for Watts. Moore felt like he was working his way into the rotation before his injury, and with a strong performance tonight, he might become a permanent fixture in the Hornets’ lineup the rest of the season.
“It was frustrating because he was starting to work me in,” Moore said. “I don’t think it affected that much. He might not put me in as much as he did just because I can’t really go. The power in my legs is not at 100 percent because I can’t plant real well on my ankle. I think he’s starting to work me back in a little bit more.
Central Missouri women at No. 4
Emporia State
If there’s an easy portion of the Lady Hornets’ schedule, they just finished it. Their last four games have been against four of the bottom five teams in the MIAA.
That all changes tonight with Central Missouri coming into White Auditorium. The Jennies are 9-4 in the conference and spent most of the season near the top of the standings.
“I want us to really go into the game and understand what a fight it’s going to be,” ESU coach Brandon Schneider said. “We’ve not been in a game for a few weeks now where the intensity level and fight and the atmosphere is going to be as charged as what this one is. I don’t want our kids to get caught off guard, because every time these two teams meet, it’s a very, very intense battle.”
Emporia State won the first meeting this season, 77-64. The Jennies are led by sophomore point guard Kara Fleming, the freshman of the year last season in the MIAA. Fleming averages 11.9 points and leads the conference with 5.6 assists per game.