Bearcats downed by ranked MIAA opponent
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Northwest’s Arbrie Benson looks up toward the cup before converting against Emporia State’s Kyrstie Miller. Benson finished with a game-high 24 points.
The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team ran into one of the stingiest opponents in the MIAA on Wednesday night when it hosted Emporia State. Northwest was unable to stop the swelling from a first quarter double-digit deficit, and the Hornets dumped the Bearcats 86-48 in Maryville.
Northwest held its annual breast cancer awareness fundraiser Wednesday, the Pink Zone Game.
The Cats fall to 8-13 and 3-11 in the MIAA, while the No. 11 team in the Division II WBCA poll improves to 20-3 overall and 11-3 in the conference.
“There’s a reason that they’re consistently one of the top DII programs in the country, and year in and year out one of the top teams in our conference,” Northwest coach Buck Scheel said. “They have a tremendous tradition. If you can’t compete and match them, it’s going to get ugly like it did tonight. They keep coming at you because they don’t have a whole lot of weaknesses. I hope that, someday, we can get to that point, but it takes time.
“I knew it would take our best game of the year to compete with how tough they are. You put this one behind you.”
Emporia State is only a half game separated from the league lead after Wednesday’s win. Its losses came against MIAA frontrunners Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri, and a sixth-place Fort Hays State team – which the Bearcats topped by 12 points in arguably their most complete game of the year on Jan. 21.
Arbrie Benson was the motor for the Bearcat offense on Wednesday night. She made 10 of the Cats’ 17 total field goals, eight of them the result of dribble penetration and finishing at the cup. Benson finished 10-of-20 from the field, and 4-of-6 from the line, good for half of the Bearcats’ points. The sophomore guard’s 24 points led all scorers.
Jasmin Howe finished with 11, and All-MIAA contender Tanya Meyer finished with 10 despite missing a majority of the third quarter with leg cramping.
Only Northwest’s five starters scored. Emporia State had as many scorers in double digits, and 12 Hornets scored in total.
The Bearcats are statistically the best long-range shooting team in the MIAA, and the third-best at defending it. They shot 2-of-15 from 3-point range on Wednesday night, while Emporia State knocked down nine of its 17 attempts from deep.
Emporia State coach Jory Collins said that limiting the Bearcats’ perimeter shooting and taking Meyer out of the equation were the major emphases entering Wednesday’s game.
“We told ourselves, no 3-pointers, no layups, and so we forced them into a lot of tough 2-pointers tonight. You can’t stop someone of [Meyer’s] caliber completely. To hold them to 2-of-15 from 3, I thought it was a great defensive effort.
“I thought we shot the ball well early, but we had contributions from everybody. That’s how you extend a lead. We’ve been a little flat the past couple games, but tonight was a step in the right direction.”
Northwest plays again on Saturday. It hosts Washburn (14-8, 7-6) at 1:30 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY (FGM-FGA, 3PM-3PA, FTM-FTA)
NWMSU (8-13): Benson 24 (10-20, 0-0, 4-6), Howe 11 (3-8, 1-4, 4-5), Meyer 10 (4-10, 1-2, 1-2), Dentlinger 2 (0-2, 0-1, 2-2), Williams 1 (0-4, 0-1, 1-2). Totals 17-53 12-17 48. 3-point goals: 2-15 (Meyer, Howe)
EMPORIA STATE (20-3): J. Kramer 15 (6-9, 3-4, 0-0), Lackey 14 (5-8, 3-5, 1-2), Miller 11 (4-6, 1-2, 2-2), Moten 11 (5-10, 0-1, 1-1), Wayne 11 (4-9, 1-3, 2-2), Laudan 9 (4-7, 1-1, 0-0), Flott 4 (2-6, 0-0, 0-0), Moala 3 (1-2, 0-0, 1-4), B. Kramer 2 (1-2, 0-0, 0-0), Holloway 2 (1-3, 0-1, 0-2), Baker 2 (0-2, 0-0, 2-2), Graves 2 (1-2, 0-0, 0-0). Totals 34-66 9-15 86. 3-point goals: 9-17 (Kramer 3, Lackey 3, Miller, Laudan, Wayne)
REBOUNDS
NWMSU 30: Meyer 7, Dentlinger 4, Howe 4, McAndrews 2, Williams 2, Benson, Smith, Wilhelmi, TEAM 8.
ESU 44: Flott 10, Laudan 7, Moten 6, Moala 4, Wayne 3, J. Kramer 2, Holloway 2, Baker 2, Graves 2, Lackey, B. Kramer, TEAM 4.
ASSISTS
NWMSU 1: Benson.
ESU 16: Moten 4, Flott 3, Miller 3, J. Kramer 2, Lackey 2, Wayne, Baker.
TEAM TURNOVERS
NWMSU: 16.
ESU: 9.
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Macy Williams of Northwest gains a step from a head fake against Emporia State’s Addie Lackey. The Bearcats were downed at home on Wednesday night, 86-48.
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Emporia State’s Kyrstie Miller and Kelly Moten (2) make continuing the offense difficult for the Bearcats’ junior forward Tanya Meyer on Wednesday night. Meyer was held to just 10 points, barely half of her season average.
