EMPORIA, Kan. – The Newman women's basketball team came up short against the No. 1 team in the country, falling 85-49 at Emporia State at White Auditorium on Saturday (Dec. 6) night. The Jets dropped to 3-4 on the season with three of those losses to top 25 teams.
 
The Hornets started the game on a 20-4 run in the first 7 and a half minutes, and ESU led by double digits for the rest of the contest. The spurt included nine straight points to start the game for the Hornets. Mali Wright scored the Jets first points at the 15:21 mark for a 9-2 score. The Hornets held a 40-27 lead at halftime.
 
In the second half, ESU continued to control the play of the game, and the Hornets led by as many as 40 points at 84-44 with 1:26 left. ESU won 85-49.
 
For the game, ESU shot 50 percent (30-60) from the field and 44 percent (11-25) from 3-point distance. From the free throw line, the Hornets finished at only 63.6 percent (14-22). Six Hornets scored in double figures. Addie Lackey totaled a game-high 15 points and eight assists. Kelly Moten and Kelsey Barnwell added 12 points. Merissa Quick and Kyrstie Miller tallied 11 points, and Ashton Bruner finished with 10 points. Quick added a game-high seven rebounds and four blocks. The Hornets blocked 13 shots in the game with Amber Vandiver totaling a game-high five. ESU turned the ball over nine times.
 
The Jets finished shooting 29.8 percent (17-57) from the field and only hit 6-of-25 shots in the second half for 24 percent. NU went 3-of-9 from 3 (33 percent). The Jets were strong from the free throw line at 85.7 percent (12-14).
 
DeKendra Ledoux scored a team-high 12 points in only 16 minutes. Cierra Tjaden added 11 points in 36 minutes. Kesha Buckner and Wright pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
 
The Jets are back in action next Saturday (Dec. 13) against William Jewell at 1 p.m. inside Fugate Gymnasium. Live stats, video and audio at KGSO 1410 AM will be available.