Emporia State coach David Moe might want to get his tape measure ready and channel his best Gene Hackman impression over the next few weeks.
The Hornets begin a three-game road trip tonight at Fort Hays State, and six of their next eight games are on the road.
Home teams have won 34 out of 50 games in the MIAA this season, and only three of the 11 conference teams have a losing record at home. Out of the top six teams in the league standings, three are undefeated at home and three have only one loss — including Emporia State.
“I just know that every time we go away, the home team is expecting to win,” ESU guard Robert Moores said. “When we’re at home, it’s a boost of confidence knowing that this is our gym. Nobody’s going to come in here and shoot better than us. Our confidence level is higher when we’re at home.”
The Hornets, tied for first place at 7-2 with Southwest Baptist, are the only team in the conference with a winning record on the road; however, they have played the fewest road games (3) and their two wins are over the bottom two teams in the league, Truman State and Pittsburg State.
The Tigers seem to be the only exception to the rule this year. They are 2-2 in away games and 2-3 at home. However, one of their top reserves, Rob Igbawua, missed the first two conference games — both losses at home — and starting power forward Tim Peintner, who is fifth in the league in rebounding, missed their second conference game.
Hays has traditionally been a tough place to win. Last season, the Tigers finished 7-2 at home in the conference and 14-2 on the season.
“They lost a couple of games earlier this year at home and they’re not going to continue to get beat there,” Moe said. “We’re playing well, and we’ve got to make sure we give them our best shot. We can’t look at Hays and what their record is and then look at what our record is. ... We’re not as good as our record. They’re not as good as their record.”
The last time the Hornets went into a road game with an eye on the records, they played one of their worst games of the year, a 71-54 loss at Central Missouri. Central Missouri had lost its first two conference games and Emporia State had easily won its first two.
On the first possession of the game, four Mules dived for a loose ball on the ground, while the ESU players tried to bend over and pick up the ball, and it was apparent the Mules were the more motivated team.
“That was a wakeup call for all of us,” ESU guard Dustin Andrews said. “That just shows if we don’t come ready to play, it’s going to be a struggle — on the road especially, even at home too. I think we’re going to use that game as an example that we’ve got to bring it every game. Where we’re at doesn’t really matter.”
The Tigers might also be a team — like the Mules were — that’s motivated by desperation. They were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches poll, and they have won two straight. They gave Missouri Southern its only home loss and won 74-63 at home against Pittsburg State on Saturday. Their only loss at home since Igbawua and Peintner returned was against Central Missouri, the only team in the conference with three road wins.
The Hornets are on a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last six conference games. In their last four MIAA victories, they have had to come back to win. The Hornets’ late-game execution should be a recipe for success on the road.
“Our only chance of having any success is to continue to hang around and survive,” Moe said, “and then try to make the plays at the end of the game like we’ve been able to do to this point.”