FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball earned two NCAA Statistical Champion Awards for the 2015-16 season. The Tigers used swarming defense and excellent ball control to lead the nation in turnover margin and fewest turnovers per game.
The Tigers dominated both categories throughout the year, using the formula as a recipe for success to make their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and garner the WBCA No. 1 national ranking for nearly an entire month (December 8 to January 5). The Tigers had a turnover margin of +10.1 per game, blowing the rest of the Division II field away as the next closest team (Lander) had a margin of +8.44. Fort Hays State was also the only team in NCAA Division II to commit less than 10 turnovers per game at 9.3. The next closest team (West Georgia) committed 10.5 per game and even Pittsburg State committed more than 11 per game and ranked third.
The categories were key to Fort Hays State’s 25-6 overall record in 2015-16, as the team actually shot just 38.3 percent from the field compared to opponents’ 40.8 percent. Success came down to simply creating more offensive opportunities than the opponent. FHSU committed just 288 turnovers total for the season, but forced 601 turnovers out of opponents. That led to the Tigers taking 385 more shots (12.4 more per game) than their opponents for the season (2,011 taken compared to 1,626 allowed).
Looking at NCAA Division I and II, Fort Hays State’s +10.1 turnover margin per game was just a smidge better than NCAA Division I leader Syracuse, which produced a margin of +10.08. Villanova led NCAA Division I in fewest turnovers per game at 7.9, but FHSU was the only other school among all NCAA levels (I, II, and III) to turn the ball over less than 10 times per game.
Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball has earned NCAA Stat Champion honors in three of the last four years. The team led the nation in blocked shots per game for two years straight, producing 6.4 per game in 2012-13 and 7.6 per game in 2013-14.