Emporia State scored less than a minute into the game and never trailed on the way to a 57-48 win over Lincoln on Thursday night in White Auditorium.
The #20 Hornets Owen Long hit a three-pointer 55 seconds into the contest and the two teams traded scores until Long hit a step back three with 16:20 left to make it 9-4. Sam Rautins hit the first of his four first half treys to pull the Blue Tigers within 9-7 with 15:34 left in the half. Emporia State then went on a 14-2 run to take a 23-9 lead on a Gage McGuire layup from Levelle Zeigler. ESU held Lincoln scoreless for seven minutes during the run until Rautins hit his second three-pointer with 5:55 remaining in the half.
Emporia State took their biggest lead of the night at the 3:30 mark when Long hit a step back jumper just outside the paint to make it 30-14. The Blue Tigers would close the half on a 10-3 run to go to the break down just 33-24.
Zeigler, who was making his first appearance in a Hornet uniform, scored eight seconds into the second half to make it 35-24. Lincoln answered with an 8-2 run to close within 36-32 with 15:18 left in the game. They would trade scores with Tyson Robinson pulling the Blue Tigers within 40-37 with 12:54 left on a three pointer. It would be nearly two minutes before anyone scored again, with Mayuom Buom hitting two free throws at the 11:07 mark to break the drought. That would spark a 7-0 run by the Hornets who pushed the lead back to double digits at 47-37 on a put back by Buom with 6:26 remaining.
The Blue Tigers would make one more run and cut the lead to five twice in the next three and a half minutes, the last time at 49-44 with 2:49 left in the game. Peyton Rogers-Schmidt delivered the knockout blow when he a corner three with the shot clock winding down to give the Hornets a 52-44 lead with 1:22 left. Emporia State iced the game going five of six from the free throw line in the final 1:04, with Zeigler hitting the last four straight, on the way to the 57-48 win.
Owen Long led Emporia State with 14 points while Levelle Zeigler scored 11 points with a team high six rebounds and five assists in his first career start.
The #20 Hornets are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they play host to Central Missouri. Tip-off from White Auditorium is set for 3:30 p.m.
Original source can be found here.
