By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The third-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team played its 16th and final home game of the 2018-19 season Saturday (March 2), and for the 16th time the Hays faithful were treated to a Tiger victory. After leading by as many as 16 in the first half, the Tigers (27-1, 18-1) held on down the stretch to defeat Pittsburg State (21-7, 13-6), 67-62.
Sporting fellow senior Carly Heim’s No. 13, Tatyana Legette put together a special performance on Senior Day. The Topeka, Kan. native matched her career high with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting while adding 10 rebounds for her 20th career double-double. The forward also matched her season high assist total after dishing out six assists.
After the teams traded layups over the first two minutes and change, the Tigers closed the first quarter on a 19-5 run to lead 23-9. Legette started scoring early and often, totaling nine points and five rebounds over the first 10 minutes of play. Lanie Page gave the Tigers the lead for good when she opened the run with a triple from the right wing three minutes into the contest.
Legette added seven points in the second quarter, including five points in 16 seconds to stretch the lead to 16, 32-16. Pittsburg State closed the half on a 13-4 run to trim the deficit to seven, 36-29.
The Gorillas continued to rally after halftime, closing within one possession just over three minutes into the third quarter. A big three-pointer from freshman Hailey Walker helped the Tigers stretch the lead back to eight later in the frame, 50-42, before Legette added a free throw to make the advantage nine heading into the fourth quarter.
Walker came up with a few more huge plays in the fourth quarter, knocking down another three-pointer early in the frame before coming away with a pair of clutch steals in the final two minutes as the Gorillas were trying to complete the comeback. Page, Kacey Kennett and Whitney Randall all hit a pair of free throws over the final three minutes to help the Tigers seal the victory.
The Tigers turned 19 Gorilla turnovers into 20 points while committing just nine turnovers of their own. Pittsburg State outrebounded the Tigers, 40-34, while outshooting FHSU by a significant margin, 44.6 percent to 36.9 percent.
Page was the lone Tiger to join Legette in double figures, adding 11 points. Kennett contributed nine points while Walker and Belle Barbieri had eight points each.
The win was Fort Hays State’s 18th conference victory this season, the third time they have reached 18 league wins in the last five years. It is only the eighth time an MIAA institution has won 18 or more conference games in a season since the Tigers joined the league in the 2006-07 season, with no other school accomplishing the feat more than once.
After wrapping up the regular season, the Tigers will turn their attention to Kansas City and the MIAA Championship tournament. As the regular season league champions, Fort Hays State will enter the tournament as the top seed. The Tigers will play the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western Thursday evening (March 7) at 6 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium.