Fort Hays State looks to put Thursday’s setback at No. 5 Missouri Western behind it on Saturday when it travels to Northwest Missouri State. The No. 3 Tigers enter the game at 16-2 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA while the Bearcats are 3-15 overall and 1-11 in the MIAA.
With 10 games still to play in the regular season, FHSU is only two games back of the conference lead. The Tigers look to stay within striking distance of Missouri Western and keep pressure on the Griffons through the remainder of January and February in the push for the MIAA Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Thursday’s meeting with the Griffons was the second time FHSU played a game involving top-five ranked teams this year. Ranked No. 5 at the time, FHSU defeated then No. 1 Emporia State earlier this season in Hays 71-70 on December 5. FHSU is a game up on the Hornets in the loss column of the MIAA standings.
The Tigers have to regain their focus quickly against a Northwest Missouri State that claimed its first MIAA win of the season on Thursday night over Nebraska-Kearney. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Bearcats.
FHSU continues to have four players average double figures in scoring, led by Chelsea Mason at 13.8 points per game. Jill Faxon is among those at 12.4 points per game while pulling down a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game. Paige Lunsford, reigning MIAA Women’s Basketball Co-Athlete of the Week, adds 10.6 points per game and Beth Bohuslavsky is averaging 10.5. Bohuslavsky moved to sixth on the all-time assist list at FHSU on Thursday evening by passing Shauna Porter, now with 332 in her career.