By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team wraps up the regular season with a pair of road games this weekend, beginning with a Thursday evening contest at Central Oklahoma (Feb. 27). First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla.
The Tigers (20-6, 11-6 MIAA) and Bronchos (17-8, 11-6 MIAA) are locked in a tie for sixth in the MIAA standings with two games to go. The Tigers can mathematically finish as high as third and as low as eighth when the dust settles on the regular season Saturday evening.
FHSU is looking to avenge a 77-66 loss to the Bronchos two weeks ago in Hays (2/8/20), UCO’s first-ever win inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers clinched the regular season conference championship last year in Edmond with a 70-48 win (2/21/19), making the road team 2-0 in the last two games of the series.
Fort Hays State is 11-5 all-time against Central Oklahoma, including a 3-4 record in Edmond. The Tigers are 10-4 against UCO under head coach Tony Hobson and 3-3 on the road.
The Tigers are averaging 76.7 points per game this season, with four players averaging in double figures. Jaden Hobbs leads the team with 12.1 points per contest while dishing out 4.7 assists each night, third-most in the MIAA. The Alva, Okla. junior has scored in double figures in eight-straight games, tied with Taylor Rolfs for the longest streak for a Tiger this season.
Kacey Kennett adds 12.0 points per night, including a team-high three 20-point performances. The senior guard has scored in double figures 61 times in her four-year career, scoring 10 or more points in just under half of her appearances (61-of-123).
Belle Barbieri tacks on 10.8 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per contest, second-most in the MIAA. The Abilene, Kan. senior has nine double-doubles to her name on the year, tied for the most in the league.
Taylor Rolfs is averaging 10.3 points each game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night. The Claflin, Kan. native currently ranks ninth in program history with 125 made 3-pointers, including 33 long-range makes this season.
Central Oklahoma is coming off an eight-point home loss to Emporia State (74-66), its third loss over the last five games. The Bronchos rank fifth in the league in scoring, putting up 75.7 points per night, while allowing 65.2 points per game. They force 20.5 turnovers each contest, second-most in the MIAA, while ranking 25th in the country with a +5.1 turnover margin. UCO is 8-4 at home this season. Junior Kelsey Johnson leads the Bronchos with 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. She knocks down 60.2 percent of her shots, tops in the conference and the ninth-best shooting percentage in Division II.