Story by RAEGAN NEUFELD Photos by RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
After two decisive wins on the road to start the season, the No. 23 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team kept their momentum in a 77-52 win over Adams State at home on Friday.
The Fort Hays State Tigers women’s Basketball team enters their home court at Gross Coliseum for their game against the Adams St. Grizzlies. 
Guard Bailey Wilborn is greeted by her teammates as she is introduced. 
The Tigers huddle up before playing. 
Guard Katie DeGarmo faces tough defense while dribbling. 
Guard Talexa Weeter protects the ball from Christabel Longe. 
Forward Olivia Hollenbeck gets hooked by Adams St. defense while shooting. 
DeGarmo stumbles as she powers threw Grizzlies defense. 
Wilborn struggles to shot past an opposing Grizzly. 
Guard Maddy Powell leaps to attempt a layup. 
Weeter gets challenged by Grizzly defense as she leaps to shoot a hoop. 
The Tigers (3-0) only trailed just once during the game for 47 seconds and went 8-14 from the field in the first quarter while holding the Grizzlies (2-2) to 4-10 shooting. The Tiger lead grew to 40-26 by halftime, and FHSU didn’t let up coming out of the locker room. They shot 6-11 overall, went a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc and 11-11 from the free throw line in the third quarter to go up 66-37. ASU outscored the Tigers 15-11 in the final 10 minutes, but the damage was already done.
“I think we really showed how to start a game and how to finish a game,” senior guard Kate Dilsaver said. “I think all four quarters we were really into it and we never let them get into the game. We’ll take away that we have to start fast and never let teams get into the game and that helps tremendously.”
The Tigers return to Gross Memorial Coliseum tonight against MSU Denver, with a focus on fewer turnovers after giving away 24 against the Grizzlies.
“First home game nerves are kind of set aside,” graduate student Katie DeGarmo said. “I’m really proud of us for working together as a team, but being able to take care of the ball and making smarter passes is going to be a big key for us going into tomorrow.”
In addition to shooting well, FHSU also made up for their turnovers by dominating the glass, pulling down 43 rebounds compared to ASU’s 19. The Tigers scored 10 points off of 11 offensive rebounds.
“I thought we took care of the ball better than we did last week against the press,” said FHSU Head Coach Talia Kahrs. “I was still disappointed with our turnovers, but we rebounded the ball really really well, which was another focus we had, and we figured out how to score against a defense that’s tough.”
Four Tigers scored in double digits, led by DeGarmo who had 19 points and recorded 10 rebounds. Though last year was her fourth at FHSU, she gained an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I just love basketball,” she said. “This place means a lot to me and I just wasn’t ready to be done yet. It was a blessing that COVID gave me the ability to have another year of basketball, and so as long as my body’s able to do it I want to keep playing.”
Dilsaver was next for the Tigers with 15 points for the second time this season, when last year she scored in double digits just four times.
“Brooke (Loewe) does a really good job of running our point,” Dilsaver said. “I like to run the floor and she finds me. Who doesn’t like to run the floor and get layups? Getting some easy layups at the beginning helps me see it go through and gain confidence. I’ve been here long enough I know what’s a good shot for me and what’s not, so I’m really able to take those opportunities that I know I can convert on.”
Olivia Hollenbeck and Talexa Weeter rounded out FHSU’s top scorers with 12 and 11 points, while also grabbing six and five rebounds. Loewe led the team with six assists.
Kiiyani Anitielu led ASU with 18 points. The Tigers held the Grizzlies to 37% shooting from the field and caused 20 turnovers.
“We commit to effort on defense, same with rebounding,” Kahrs said “It has nothing to do with our ability to be quick. It’s about effort, and the girls have really bought into that. We’re starting to get the hang of it with the new kids sprinkled in there on playing good team defense.”
Seven of Kahrs’ players have been in the program for 3-5 years. The success they’ve had in that time and their returning experience led to being picked first in the preseason MIAA media poll and second in the coaches poll.
“It helps our team chemistry,” Dilsaver said. “A lot of us have been together for a long time and we know what we’re doing so it takes some of that stuff out of the way. We can focus on the little details and step our game up because we’ve all been here. Then we can bring along the younger ones or the ones who are new and show them how we do things.”
Tip-off tonight against MSU Denver is set for 5 p.m.