Basketball Recap: Emporia Gets the Win

Emporia hadn't done well against Washburn Rural recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Spartans snuck past the Blues with a 52-46 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.

Despite the loss, Washburn Rural had strong showings from John Hoytal, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Brooks Ballard, who posted 13 points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Draden Chooncharoen, who put up seven points.

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Previous Games

01/16/26 - Home	52-46 W
02/17/25 - Home	39-65 L
01/17/25 - Away	28-42 L
02/23/24 - Away	75-69 W
02/02/24 - Home	31-48 L
+ 5 more games

Emporia's win bumped their record up to 12-1. As for Washburn Rural, their defeat ended an eight-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 7-3.

Emporia and Washburn Rural will both get a bit of extra prep time before their next contests. The next time the Spartans see the court they'll take on Independent on the 31st. As for Washburn Rural, their break will end when they face Seaman at 7:30 p.m. on the 27th.