Box Score | Season Stats
EMPORIA, Kan. -- The seventh-ranked Lady Blues came out on top of 10th-ranked Emporia State 66-60 on Saturday afternoon at White Auditorium in a game that certainly lived up to the top-10 billing. There were seven ties and eight lead changes in the game.
The Lady Blues (13-1, 9-1 MIAA) took an early lead on a bucket from
Laura Kinderknecht, but six quick points by the Lady Hornets (11-3, 8-2 MIAA) gave ESU a 6-2 lead. The game was tied at 6-6 when Emporia State went on a 6-0 run during which,
Cassie Lombardino picked up her second foul of the game and went to the bench for the remainder of the half.
Washburn used a 7-0 run to regain the lead at 19-16 with 8:52 to play in the half, but ESU used a 7-0 run of its own and grabbed the lead right back. The game went back-and-forth the remaining of the half with both teams holding slim leads. The Blues trimmed ESU's four-point lead to one right before the break, but a half-court shot by Haley Parker banked in at the buzzer to give the Lady Hornets a 36-32 lead at halftime.
A quick bucket out of the break pushed the Emporia State lead to six, but Washburn went on a 17-2 to grab a 49-40 lead with 11:28 to play in the game. The Lady Hornets responded with a 14-2 run of their own to regain the lead at 54-51 with 6:08 to play.
The game was tied three more times over the next 2:24, but
Stevi Schultz scored four straight points to put the Lady Blues in front for good at 62-58. An ESU bucket with 36 seconds remaining cut the lead to two, but a Lombardino layup off a feed from
Alyssa Mullen put WU in front by four with 10 seconds left.
Megan Lassley hit two free throws with :06 remaining to put the game on ice.
Lombardino scored a game-high 20 points, 18 in the second half, to lead Washburn. Kinderknecht had 14 points and tied her career-high with six assists. Schultz had 12 after playing just nine minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and Lassley had 10.
The Lady Blues shot 39 percent (24-of-62) from the floor and 46 percent (5-of-11) from beyond the arc. WU was 13-of-20 from the charity strip for 65 percent and turned the ball over just nine times, while forcing 16 turnovers by ESU.
Alli Volkens led the Lady Hornets with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Kelsey Balcom had 13 points and Jocelyn Cummings chipped in 11. ESU shot 35 percent (20-of-57) from the field and 30 percent (6-of-20) from three-point range. The Lady Hornets were 14-of-16 from the foul line and out-rebounded Washburn 41-38.
The Lady Blues are back in action next Wednesday when they host Lincoln at 5:30 p.m. to close out the first half of the MIAA schedule.
Cassie Lombardino talks about the win at Emporia State
Coach McHenry talks about the win at Emporia State
