The Tigers had a tough time putting away the nation’s top ranked team after holding leads of 10 points three times in the game. FHSU jumped out to a 10-point lead in the second quarter before eventually leading 37-30 at halftime. The Tigers reached a lead of 10 twice in the third quarter, but ESU went on a 9-0 run to make the contest close once again. The Hornets went into the fourth quarter with a one-point lead at 55-54.
Beth Bohuslavsky and Paige Lunsford were difference makers for the Tigers in the clutch. The pair combined for 13 of Fort Hays State’s 17 fourth-quarter points. With FHSU clinging to a one-point lead, Lunsford hit a big 3-point field goal with 4:20 to go to push the lead to four. Then, at 1:34 remaining, Bohuslavsky extended a four-point Tiger lead to seven at 71-64 with a 3-point field goal. It was the last bucket of the game for the Tigers, but Bohuslavsky would be the decisive factor in the final seconds as well.
After Emporia State buried 3-point field goals in consecutive trips down the floor to cut the lead to one, the Hornets had the final offensive possession after getting a blocked shot with 19 seconds to go. Out of timeouts, ESU guard Kelly Moten move back-and-forth at the top of the key to try and find a lane to drive but was cut off several times before dumping the ball down to Kathryn Flott in the post. That is when Bohuslavsky crashed down quickly for a double team and tied up Flott before she could turn around and get a shot off. Bohuslavsky’s heads-up play gave the Tigers the ball back on the alternate possession with just two seconds remaining and FHSU took a timeout to advance the ball past halfcourt. FHSU inbounded the ball and due to lack of fouls by ESU in the quarter, ran out the clock and secured the 71-70 victory.
Bohuslavsky finished with a game-high 21 points and tied for a team-high six rebounds. She went 6-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-2 beyond the 3-point line, and 7-of-10 at the free-throw line. Lunsford added 16, going 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. She also had a team-high four steals and tied the team high in rebounds with six. Chelsea Mason had 11 points and also six rebounds, while Jill Faxon also matched the team rebound high with six.
FHSU and ESU were almost dead even shooting the ball, FHSU at 40 percent for the game and ESU at 40.4 percent. FHSU went 4-of-18 beyond the 3-point line and ESU went 4-of-17. Turnovers were key for the Tigers, forcing 15 out of the Hornets, while committing just eight. FHSU outscored ESU in points off turnovers 23-7.
Sandra Ngoie led ESU in scoring with 15 points, while Kelly Moten and Jacee Kramer each had 12. Kramer led the Hornets in rebounding with eight, while Moten had a team-high four assists. Addie Lackey added 10 points.
Fort Hays State has now won three of the past five meetings with Emporia State, all of which occurred with both teams in the top 10 of the WBCA Division II Poll. This was the first in which both were in the top five of the rankings in that five-game run.
It will be interesting to see where the Tigers move in the national rankings next week after knocking off the No. 1 team. The Tigers are off until next Saturday (Dec. 12) when they host Nebraska-Kearney at 2 pm in Hays.
