By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
No. 3/5 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team recorded season highs in field goal percentage and blocks and matched its season-best in steals in a dominating 88-36 win over Tabor College Saturday (Nov. 30).
The Tigers (6-0) were firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, holding the Bluejays to just four points in the first quarter while knocking down nearly 60 percent (10-of-17) from the floor on the other end.
Fort Hays State forced 26 turnovers on the night, including 17 steals. While Jaden Hobbs led the team with three steals, she was just one of 11 different Tigers credited with a steal.
Twelve different players scored for Fort Hays State, including 10 players scoring at least six points.
Tabor started to find the bottom of the net early in the second quarter, knocking down its first five shots from the floor. But the Tiger defense would soon get back on track, holding the Bluejays scoreless for more than 12 minutes spanning halftime to stretch a 20-point lead into a 45-point advantage. The 25-0 run is the longest scoring run for the Tigers since they scored 26-consecutive points against these same Bluejays nearly two years ago (12/13/17).
After the Tigers closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run, Kacey Kennett scored the first seven points of the second half to continue the scoring outburst. Hobbs and Lauryn Reither added 3-pointers later in the frame to extend the run before Tabor finally got on the board with 3:05 to play in the third quarter on a layup.
Kennett led the team with 12 points, while Madison Mittie and Reither both reached double figures with 10 points each. Hobbs dished out a team-high six assists alongside eight points. Belle Barbieri tallied nine points, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Lanie Page totaled seven points, two assists and a team-best three blocks.
Fort Hays State buried 55.2 percent of its shots, the highest field goal percentage for the Tigers since January 2018 (56.6 percent at Lindenwood, 1/27/18). The Tigers capitalized on the 26 Tabor miscues, scoring 29 points off turnovers.
After playing their last four games inside the friendly confines of Gross Memorial Coliseum, the Tigers head back out on the road to open conference play on Tuesday (Dec. 3). FHSU will open league play against rival Nebraska-Kearney, with first tip set for 5:30 p.m. inside the Health and Sports Center.