2008-09 Lady Hornet Schedule

September 5, 2008-Fifteen home games including a New Year's Eve contest with MIAA newcomer Nebraska-Omaha  and three home games against NCAA Tournament teams highlight the 2008-09 Emporia State Lady Hornet basketball schedule.

The defending MIAA Champions will open the season on with an exhibition game against Kansas State on November 7 in Manhattan, Kan.  The Lady Hornets defeated the Wildcats 64-59 in their last meeting in 2006.  ESU will take on Friends in White Auditorium on Veteran's Day, November 11, to wrap up the exhibition schedule.

The regular season will begin on Saturday, November 15 with the Candlewood Suites Classic in White Auditorium.  The Lady Hornets will take on Avila on Saturday night and Tabor on Sunday afternoon.  Ft. Hays State will be the other team involved in the classic.

ESU will play host to Newman and Evangel on Nov. 19 and 25 before heading south to play at Texas A&M-Kingsville.  The Lady Hornets are 4-1 at the Steinke Center in Kingsville, Texas with the lone loss a 71-69 defeat in the 2001 NCAA South Central Regional Championship Game.

The Lady Hornets will return to White Auditorium to begin MIAA play against Northwest Missouri State on December 3.  For the first time in school history, ESU will play three MIAA games during the first semester of the school year.  ESU will take on Missouri Western on December 6 and travel to Central Missouri on December 13.  

A game against NAIA Division I Sweet 16 participant Harris-Stowe on December 20 will break up the MIAA season.  The Lady Hornets will travel to Kirksville, Mo. on December 29 before returning to White Auditorium for a New Year's Eve match-up with Neb.-Omaha.  The UNO game will begin a three game homestand for ESU that will include Southwest Baptist on January 3 and Missouri Southern on January 7.  

A trip to Pittsburg State on January 10 precedes the first "Turnpike Tussle" of the 2008-09 season.  ESU and Washburn, the co-champions of the MIAA last season, will meet for the first time this season on January 17 in White Auditorium.  One or both of these teams have won the MIAA regular season championship in nine of the last eleven seasons, with ESU raising six conference championship banners in White Auditorium.

ESU will then embark on a three game road trip starting January 21 at FHSU to wrap up the first round of MIAA play.  The second half of the conference season will see ESU play at Northwest Missouri on January 24 and at Missouri Western on January 28.

The Lady Hornets will return home for a rare Sunday afternoon game on February 1 against Truman. The Sunday tip is to accommodate the Lyon County League Tournament in White Auditorium. ESU will play their only back to back home games of the second half on February 4 against UCM before going on a three game road trip.  The Lady Hornets will play at UNO, at SBU and at MSSU from February 7-14.  

ESU will end the regular season with the three other Kansas members of the MIAA.  The Lady Hornets will take on Pittsburg State on February 18 before travelling up the turnpike to play WU on February 25.  ESU will honor their seniors on February 28 against FHSU.

The MIAA Tournament will be held March 6-8 at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.  The NCAA South Central Regional is scheduled for March 13-16 at a yet to be determined campus site.  The Elite Eight will return to MIAA country on March 25-28 at the St. Joseph, Mo. Civic Arena.

The Lady Hornets return eight of their top nine scorers and nine of their top 11 rebounders from last year's MIAA regular season champions that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

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Upcoming Events

• #10 ESU at Pittsburg State
Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m. Pittsburg, Kan.
• #10 ESU vs. Washburn
Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. W. L. White Auditorium

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