By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team used a dominant second half to storm from behind and defeat No. 17 Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday (Jan. 29), 76-63. The Tigers (17-2, 11-2 MIAA) trailed by as many as 14 for the second game in a row before rallying for another win, allowing FHSU to overtake first place in the MIAA standings.
The Tigers struggled in the first half, hitting just 34.5 percent (10-of-29) from the floor while allowing the Lopers (16-4, 11-3 MIAA) a shooting percentage of 55.2 percent (16-of-29). Fort Hays State kept things somewhat close thanks to five 3-pointers before intermission, including two each from Whitney Randall and Kate Dilsaver.
After trailing by 10 at the break, 39-29, Fort Hays State started the comeback right away in the third quarter. The Tigers scored the first five points and 10 of the first 12 to close within two, 41-39. Dilsaver opened the frame with a jumper before Sydney Golladay buried a 3-pointer off a pass from Dilsaver. Randall then added another triple before Dilsaver connected on another shot to pull the Tigers within one possession.
Nebraska-Kearney responded with an 8-2 run to push the lead back to eight, 49-41, before another 10-2 run helped the Tigers level the score at 51. A Katie Wagner 3-pointer finished off the run before a Lauren West free throw put the Tigers in front for the first time since early in the first quarter, 54-53.
The Lopers scored the final two points of the third quarter to take a 55-54 lead into the final frame before the lead changed hands three more times early in the fourth quarter. West buried three shots in the first two minutes of the fourth, while a Wagner layup at the 8:55 mark put the Tigers in front for good.
Fort Hays State turned things up a notch on the defensive end, holding UNK to just eight points and 3-of-13 shooting in the in the fourth quarter. The Lopers scored at the 7:03 mark after back-to-back buckets from West, the last UNK field goal until the waning seconds.
Wagner scored four-straight points to put the Tigers up 66-59 before traditional 3-point plays from Cydney Bergmann and Jaden Hobbs pushed the lead to double figures. The Tigers were perfect from the free-throw line down the stretch, leading by as many as 15 before a late Kearney basket made the final score 76-63.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 47.3 percent from the floor (26-of-55), 47.4 percent from behind the arc (9-of-19) and 88.2 percent from the charity stripe (88.2 percent). FHSU limited the Lopers to a shooting percentage of 33.3 percent in the second half, good for a 44.6 percent effort for the game.
Dilsaver led the Tigers with a career-high 14 points, while Randall (13 points), Hobbs (11 points) and Wagner (11 points) also reached double figures. Bergmann led the team with five rebounds alongside nine points, with Hobbs dishing out a team-high five assists.
Fort Hays State turned the ball over a season-low six times while scoring 14 points off 11 Loper turnovers.
The Tigers will return to action Thursday (Feb. 3) when the road trip continues in Wichita, Kan. against Newman. First tip against the Jets is slated for 5:30 p.m.