(SEARCY, AR)---Top-seed Emporia State (28-4) led for less than 20 seconds all afternoon, but the Hornets were on the right side of the scoreboard when it counted in a 71-68 NCAA Division II Central Region women's basketball tournament opening round victory over Northern State (24-7).
Addie Lackey's long three-pointer from the right wing snapped a 68-68 tie with 0.8 seconds remaining and capped a run of clutch 3-pointers by the Lady Hornets as the avoided NSU's upset bid.
The Wolves led 65-62 with 1:18 left on Paige Waytaskhak's layup, but ESU's Kyrstie Miller tied the game nine seconds later with a 3-pointer. Miller gave Emporia State its first lead of the game at the 0:37 mark with her second straight long ball, but NSU's Gabby Laimer responded with a triple of her own to knot things for the final time with 0:24 remaining.
Northern State appeared to be on its way to the first round shocker when Laimer banked in a three-pointer for a 55-49 lead midway through the fourth quarter. However, Emporia State chipped away at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament champion's edge and clawed back within one at 63-62 on Kelly Moten's acrobatic lay-up and ensuing free throw with 1:33 remaining.
Moten led all scorers with 24 points. Miller chipped in with 16 for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament winners, while Lackey had 14. Kathryn Flott added seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Miranda Ristau paced Northern State with 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with just under three minutes left. Jill Conrad notched 19 points and Laimer ended with 11.
The Wolves hit five of their first six shots from the field to bolt to an 11-2 in the opening minutes. Despite only shooting 26 percent in the first quarter, Emporia State closed to within 18-17 at the end of the quarter.
Northern State pitched in the first six points of the second quarter to push their lead to 24-17 and led by seven on two other occasions in the quarter before maintaining a 32-28 advantage at intermission. The taller NSU squad owned a 23-15 rebounding edge and dominated in the paint with a 24-14 scoring margin inside during the first 20 minutes.
NSU matched their largest lead of the first half at nine when Ristau's laup at the 6:52 mark of the third quarter made it 39-30. The Lady Hornets used an extended pressure defense to force nine NSU turnovers in the quarter as they closed the gap to 49-42 at the quarter break.
The Wolves owned the glass with a 44-26 rebounding edge, but were minus-15 in turnovers with 22 to the Lady Hornets' seven. Both teams took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line with ESU hitting 29 of 30 from the line and NSU going 17 of 20.
Emporia State advances to face a familiar foe in Saturday's second round when they square off versus the winner of the all-MIAA opening round matchup of Pittsburg State and Central Oklahoma.
NOTES:
---The schools met for the second consecutive year in NCAA Division II Central Regional play. Emporia State won last season's matchup 74-68 behind 14 made 3-pointers.
---Emporia State has won nine straight first round contests and is 39-17 overall in NCAA Division II post-season tournament play. Northern State drops to 4-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
---Emporia State had out-rebounded all 31 opponents this season before losing the battle on the glass 44-26 to Northern State.
