Women’s Basketball picked fourth in MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll

-FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball was picked fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released Wednesday (Oct. 22) by the conference office.

FHSU reach reached new heights last season, posting its third consecutive 20-win season for the first time in school history, and will return 12 players, including All-American Kate Lehman and All-MIAA selection Beth Bohuslavsky.

Under the direction of head coach Tony Hobson (entering his seventh season at the helm), the Tigers went 21-8 overall last with a 12-7 conference record, reaching the MIAA semifinals for the second year in a row. The team just missed a NCAA Tournament berth, finishing ninth in the final regional rankings, with the top eight advancing.

Lehman was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, earning First Team and All-Defensive Team honors, while Bohuslavsky was an honorable mention pick. Graduated senior Katelyn Edwards was picked Third Team All-MIAA. Lehman also grabbed Daktronics All-Central Region First Team honors. Lehman and Bohuslavsky were the two Tigers to start all 29 games last season.

Lehman enters her senior season after enjoying one of the most successful seasons in FHSU history last year. The center shattered her previous school record for blocks in a season with 155, which also set a new mark for single-season blocks in the MIAA. Lehman climbed to No. 7 on the career blocks list for NCAA Division II with 374 swats thus far in her career. Lehman averaged a double-double for the season with 16.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, adding 20 total double-doubles and two triple-doubles for the season. If Lehman matches her block total from last season, she would climb to No. 2 on the career blocks list for NCAA Division II, but she is definitely within striking distance of the all-time record of 533.

Bohuslavsky, a junior this season, ranked second nationally (and first in the MIAA) with a 2.69 assist-to-turnover ratio last year. Additionally, Bohuslavsky led the Tigers in minutes (27.4 per game) while adding 94 assists with a 6.9 points per game average.

Aside from Lehman and Bohuslavky, other returners expected to fill a majority of playing time include senior Keriann Shaw, juniors Chelsea Mason and Paige Lunsford and sophomores Jill Faxon and Nikola Kacperska.

Shaw, one of four seniors on this year’s team, appeared in all 29 games with 12 starts last year, pulling down 4.0 rebounds per game. Offensively, the forward had 5.2 points and 1.1 assists on average, serving in an increased role throughout the season. Shaw averaged a steal per game as well.

Mason, the Tigers second-leading scorer last season, joined the Tigers for her sophomore year after playing at Kennesaw State University. Mason made the most of first season at FHSU, averaging 13.0 points per game and picking up .83 steals per game in 29 appearances (14 starts).

Lunsford appeared in every game for the Tigers last season, pulling down 2.5 rebounds per contest and averaging 9.5 minutes in each appearance. She held a 2.19 assist-to-turnover ratio, dishing out 24 total assists on the year.

Jill Faxon started one game as a freshman, playing in all 29 contests at 12.6 minutes per game. Faxon’s .327 shooting percentage from three-point range was second best on the team, as she scored 6.3 points per game while grabbing 2.1 rebounds on average.

Nikola Kacperska picked up 40 steals on the year, appearing in all 29 games (with four starts) at a pace of 17.4 minutes per contest. Kacperska scored 5.0 points per game and grabbed 1.9 assists, leading the team with a .358 three-point shooting percentage.

Taylor Chandler, a top player for the Tigers last season (25 games, 5.8 points per game, team-leading 44 steals), will sit out the year due to injury.

Other reserves expected to compete for playing time include sophomore Sarah Pimental (who appeared in seven games last season) and seniors Christine Russell and Jenna Ulrich. Russell played in nine games last year, while Ulrich played in four contests.

Making their Fort Hays State debuts this season will be redshirt freshman Payton Hoeme, junior transfer Elle Stein and true freshmen Kristin Huser and Taylor Menke.

Stein was a KJCCC All-Conference honorable mention pick for her senior season, averaging 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during her final season at Pratt CC, while Hoeme (Pratt, Kan.) Huser (Victoria, Kan.) and Menke (Friend, Neb.) were both All-State selections during their season years.

Along the sideline, Hobson returns for his seventh season after reaching (and passing) two career milestones last year. Hobson picked up career win No. 500 on Dec. 7 against Missouri Western (67-53), and won his 100th game at Fort Hays State in the Tigers’ regular season finale, a 55-39 victory over Northeastern State on Feb. 28.

The top four slots in this year’s preseason poll belong to Kansas schools, with Emporia State, Pittsburg State and Washburn sitting in the three spots above FHSU. ESU, the defending MIAA Tournament Champions, led the voting with 160 points, followed by PSU’s 153 points. Both the Hornets and the Gorillas had five first-place votes. Washburn’s three first-place votes and 142 total points place them third in the poll, followed by FHSU, which had 138 points and one first-place vote. Central Missouri, last year’s MIAA Regular Season Champion, was picked fifth with 127 points.

After a drop-off in points from the fifth spot, Missouri Southern sits sixth in the poll with 94 votes, followed by Lindenwood (85 points) and Northeastern State (83 points). Nos. 9 and 10 in the poll belong to Northwest Missouri State (74 points) and Central Oklahoma (66 points).

The final four teams picked were No. 11 Missouri Western (60 points), No. 12 Southwest Baptist (44 points), Nebraska-Kearney (30 points) and Lincoln (18 points).