In the world of poker sometimes a bad beat is just that, a bad beat. So to with the Lady Blues, losing to their archivals in what was billed as a tournament edition of the “Turnpike Tussle.”

Washburn started out the game cold as Emporia State reeled off four straight points. The Lady Blues got on the board to start out with on a three-point shot from Stevi Schultz, forward. It would turn out to be her only made shot of the night as she shot a staggering 1-14 from the field.

Cassie Lombardino, center would also struggle from the floor in the first half shooting just 1-4 from the floor and 0-2 from the free throw line. With their starting inside presence struggling to get the ball and connect, the Lady Blues turned to their first half leading scorer Laura McMullin, forward.

“Yah I wanted this game a lot not only to go on, but for our seniors to,” said McMullin. “I tried to give it my all and I just wanted to take it to [Allie Volkens, Emporia State center] and win this game.”

McMullin shot 6-8 from the field to lead the Lady Blues in scoring in the first period. Including a late push with roughly eight minutes left to go, scoring six straight unanswered points to help Washburn to a 32-26 lead at halftime.

“I thought Laura McMullin played awfully well which kinda kept us in the game,” said Ron McHenry, Washburn women’s head basketball coach.

In the second half, Washburn came out looking to pick up the lead and extend it into the rest of the game. Lombardino would make the first basket of the period for Washburn, her last points of the evening from the floor in what ended up as a 2-11 shooting night.

“The second half we just couldn’t get shots goin’, we were forcin’ shots that just didn’t really need to be forced,” said McHenry. “We couldn’t get anything going inside the second half like we got from Laura. We never got Cassie [Lombardino] going at all.”

Washburn finished the second half shooting 18-percent from the floor and 30-percent overall for the game.

With such a poor shooting night, the Lady Blues were unable to overcome the Lady Hornets as Washburn ended their run 61-52 in the semifinals.

Washburn will now wait to see where they will be seeded in the South Central regionals.