EMPORIA, Kan. – The No. 9-ranked Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (7-3, 0-2 MIAA) couldn't overcome Emporia State's nine three-pointers, resulting in a 75-66 road defeat Thursday night at White Auditorium.
 
Northwest found shooting struggles early on, shooting 41.7% (25-of-60) from the floor and 40% (8-of-20) from long range. Lindsey Kelderman led Northwest with 13 points, knocking down a trio of threes. Kelsey Fields added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds, as Caely Kesten rounded off Northwest's double-digit scoring with 11 points. 
 
Emporia State (4-4, 1-0 MIAA) shot 50% (28-of-56) from the field and made nine of its 12 attempts from beyond the arc to come away with its first top 10 win since 2019. Northwest hasn't allowed more than four made threes a game before tonight's contest -- most threes allowed by an opponent since Central Oklahoma on Feb. 29, 2024 (12-of-26).  
 
ESU's Katie Horyna led the Lady Hornets with 23 points, as Gracie Gilpin chipped in 20 points on 5-of-6 from three-point range. 
 
Fields started off hot, scoring all seven of the Bearcats' points before the first media timeout. She connected on 3-of-4 shots, while Emree Zars controlled the boards with four rebounds. Despite their efforts, Northwest trailed Emporia State 10-7 with 4:45 left in the first quarter. In the final five minutes, Emporia State surged with an 11-2 run, capped off by a floater at the buzzer from Jayla Cornelius, extending its lead to 21-9 after one. 
 
Peyton Kelderman opened the second quarter with her first three-pointer since Nov. 23, followed by another triple from sister Lindsey Kelderman to cut Emporia State's lead to six with 8:08 on the clock. Sadie Maas, the league's leading shot blocker, made her presence felt with back-to-back blocks on consecutive possessions. However, ESU maintained control, extending its lead to 15 points with 30 seconds left in the half. The Lady Hornets shot a red-hot 53.6% from the field, while the Bearcats struggled offensively, shooting just 32% (8-of-25). At halftime, ESU led 36-21. Despite her strong start, Fields was held scoreless in the final 14:30 of the first half but remained the Bearcats' leading scorer.
 
Emporia State made 8-of-9 shots to extend its lead, but Zars and Kesten responded with a 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to 14 with 5:37 left in the third quarter. Kesten then hit a step-back three to reach double digits with a minute remaining. Lindsey Kelderman answered with a floater at the buzzer, restoring ESU's 15-point advantage as the teams headed into the final quarter.
 
Molly Hartnett banked in a triple in transition, forcing the Lady Hornets to take their first timeout of the game. With Hartnett's big shot, ESU's lead was trimmed to 10 with 8:47 to play. Shortly after, ESU responded with a swift 8-0 run in 1:40 to take a 70-53 lead with five minutes remaining. 
 
Kesten dished to Lindsey Kelderman for her third triple of the game, cutting ESU's lead to nine with a minute and a half to go. 

Up Next: 
Northwest will take a trip down to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to compete in the Nova Southeastern Tournament. The Bearcats will hit the hardwood first against Colorado Mesa at 11 a.m. (CT) on Thursday, Dec. 19, followed by No. 24 Nova Southeastern at 1 p.m. (CT) on Friday, Dec. 21.