By HALEY WHITE
EMPORIA — The Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team had a dent put in its perfect record Wednesday night after falling to in-state rival Emporia State, 54-51, inside White Auditorium. The Tigers dip to 15-1 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play, while the Hornets improve to 12-4 and 3-3 in conference play.
The Tigers found early success behind the arc, with a pair of 3-pointers from juniors Kacey Kennett and Lanie Page during the opening minutes. The Hornets had several second-chance options to maintain a close score due to Fort Hays missing shots in the paint and turning the ball over within the first 20 minutes of play.
The Tigers ended the half tied with Emporia State, entering the locker room shooting 27.3 percent (9-of-33) from the floor and completing three of 15 shots behind the arc while shooting 50 percent (4-of-8) from the charity stripe.
ESU began the half with a 12-0 run as the Tigers continued to turn the ball over. More than five minutes was shed off the clock before Fort Hays was able to find an answer on offense.
The Tigers began to find rhythm in the final quarter, as junior Taylor Rolfs helped Fort Hays battle back, making it a one-possession game with just minutes left to play. Another Hornet and Tiger score kept Emporia State on top by one, just as Rolfs fired a 3-pointer from the corner to give Fort Hays the advantage with less than two minutes left.
A locked-in Emporia State defense kept the Tigers from scoring during the final seconds of the game, while the Hornets answered and ultimately topped Fort Hays.
The Tigers ended the contest hooting 30 percent from the floor, the worst Fort Hays finish this season. Rolfs led the offense with 13 points, and Tatyana Legette crashed the boards to collect 15 rebounds — which matches a career high.
The Tigers will be back in action Saturday with another in-state rivalry matchup against the Ichabods of Washburn . Tipoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. in Topeka.