By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The No. 8 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team led for all but 24 seconds Thursday evening (Feb. 18), cruising past Lincoln, 74-43. The Tigers (17-2, 17-2 MIAA) continue to sit atop the MIAA standings with three games to play in the regular season.
After No. 16 Central Missouri held off No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney Thursday in Kearney, the Tigers and Jennies will battle with first place on the line Saturday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. First tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Fort Hays State led by as many as 37 early in the third quarter, their largest lead of the season, before wrapping up the game with their largest margin of victory all year. The Tigers hit more than half of their shot attempts in the opening half (17-of-33, 51.5 percent) while holding Lincoln (1-18, 1-18 MIAA) to just 18.2 percent from the floor before halftime (6-of-33).
The Tigers hit five of their first six shots to race in front 11-2, including a Sydney Golladay layup on the first possession of the game off a pass from Olivia Hollenbeck. Golladay added two more points on a jumper two possessions later before Whitney Randall buried two shots, one from inside the arc and one from behind the 3-point line. Hollenbeck capped the run with a layup off a dish from Golladay, pushing the Tigers in front by nine just over three minutes into the game.
Lincoln kept the margin under 10 for most of the first quarter, with the Tigers leading 20-13 after 10 minutes of action. The second frame is when Fort Hays State went to work, outscoring the Blue Tigers 23-4, FHSU’s fewest points allowed in a quarter this season.
The Tigers hit 8-of-14 from the floor, including two 3-pointers, while going 5-for-5 from the line in the second period. Lincoln, on the other hand, managed just two field goals on 18 shots, good for 11.1 percent shooting.
Freshmen scored the first eight points of the quarter, including two buckets from Emma Ruddle, one from Golladay and a pair of free throws from Katie Wagner. Seniors took over at that point, with Randall and Jaden Hobbs combining to score the next 13 points for FHSU. Jessie Sallach helped the Tigers end the half on a 10-0 run with a layup in the final minute, putting the Black and Gold Tigers in front by 26 at the break, 43-17.
Fort Hays State extended the run to 14-0 after Hollenbeck and Golladay tallied the first two buckets of the third quarter, stretching the lead to 30. The Tigers later went on a 10-2 run following a Lincoln free throw, padding the lead to a season-high 37 points on a layup from Hollenbeck, 57-20.
Lincoln closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to close within 62-34 by the end of the third quarter. Both teams struggled from the floor in the fourth quarter, with the Tigers hitting 5-of-19 and the Blue Tigers connecting on 3-of-15 from the floor.
Fort Hays State converted on 29-of-68 shots on the night (42.6 percent) while hitting 11-of-12 from the line. The Tigers held Lincoln to just 25.0 percent shooting for the game (16-of-64) while forcing 18 turnovers. FHSU blocked 11 shots in the win, its most in a game in more than two years (1/10/19 vs NSU, 11 blocks).
Fort Hays State dominated in the paint, outscoring the Blue Tigers 44-18. The Tigers had a slight edge in rebounds, 46-42.
Hobbs and Randall both scored a game-high 16 points, with Hobbs adding five assists, three steals and two blocks. Randall also had four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Hollenbeck added 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds alongside four blocks. Wagner tallied eight points, six rebounds, two assists and one block. Sallach contributed seven points, seven rebounds and a career-high three blocks. Golladay had eight points, three assists and one steal.
After being recognized before the game on Senior Night, Madison Mittie recorded career highs with four assists and four steals while adding four rebounds.