FHSU Sports Information Department
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Fort Hays State dug in defensively late to hold off an upset-minded Lindenwood squad on Thursday night (Jan. 7). Tied 55-55, Paige Lunsford hit a 3-point field goal pushing the No. 3 ranked Tigers into the lead for good on the way to a 65-59 win. FHSU improved to 13-1 overall and 7-1 in the MIAA.
Following Lunsford’s 3-point field goal with 3:20 to play in the game, the Tigers played rock-solid defense with three consecutive defensive stops. Lindenwood (7-7, 3-5 MIAA) fouled Beth Bohuslavsky with 55 seconds remaining. Bohuslavsky pushed the lead to five. With 41 seconds left, Elle Stein drew a charge on a Lindenwood player flying out of control through the lane. The Lions were forced to foul and Bohuslavsky pushed the lead to seven with two more free-throws, putting the lead out of reach. The four consecutive defensive stops for FHSU inside the final three minutes proved to be the decisive factor in a tightly contested game.
Despite being pushed to the finish, FHSU never trailed in the game. The Tigers used a 7-0 run to build an eight-point lead at 14-6 in the first quarter and eventually led 20-15 heading into the second quarter. Again, the Tigers pushed their lead to eight with a 5-0 run to start the second period, but Lindenwood eventually cut the lead back to three, 32-29, at halftime.
For the third time on the night, FHSU reached an eight-point lead with a 5-0 run to open the third quarter, but once again the Tigers could not shake the Lions as the lead was just two by the end of the third quarter.
At the 7:10 mark of the fourth quarter, Lindenwood finally caught FHSU when Kassidy Gengenbacher hit a 3-point field goal to tie the game, 51-51. Lindenwood tied the game twice more before Lunsford hit the big three to put the Tigers in the lead for good. It triggered a 7-0 run for the Tigers.
Chelsea Mason had the hot hand early for FHSU, scoring 14 points in the first half on her way to a team-high 21 points. She finished 8-of-20 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free-throw line. Beth Bohuslavsky finished with 14 points and went a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. Jill Faxon also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points. Lunsford led the Tigers in rebounds with six and tied Bohuslavsky for the team lead in assists with three while adding eight points.
Gengenbacher and Vanessa Zailo led Lindenwood in scoring with 13 points each, followed by Jenny Rocha with 12. Zailo had a double-double by adding 11 rebounds.
The Tigers return to action on Saturday (Jan. 9) at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. Game time is set for 1:30 pm at Jason Gym.