FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team returns to MIAA play Thursday (Jan. 5) when Central Missouri travels to Gross Memorial Coliseum. First tip with the Jennies is set for 5:30 p.m. All kids kindergarten through 12th grade get in FREE thanks to Thursday’s game sponsor, Eagle Communications.
Head coach Tony Hobson would reach 100 MIAA victories with a win Thursday. Hobson currently holds a 99-65 record in regular season conference play.
The Tigers enter the contest 11-2 overall and 2-2 in MIAA play, while the Jennies carry a 10-1 record on the year and 3-0 in conference action. An over one-month-long winning streak will come to a close Thursday, with the Tigers winning five straight and UCM riding a 10-game streak. Both teams are receiving votes in the latest WBCA Coaches’ Poll.
While the Jennies hold a slim 13-11 lead in the all-time series, the Tigers have won seven of nine contests played inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers are riding a four-game winning streak in the series, the longest for either team in the series. Fort Hays State is 9-8 against UCM under Hobson, including a 6-1 record at home. The Tigers have won six straight home games against the Jennies.
The Tigers have a chance to score 100 or more points in consecutive games for just the second time in program history after dropping 118 points against Kansas Christian over the weekend.
Fort Hays State has the sixth-best offense in Division II, averaging 83.2 points per contest. Jill Faxon leads the balanced Tiger offense with 11.4 points per game, with six other players averaging seven or more points each night. Nikola Kacperska ranks 10th in the league with 3.4 assists per game, dishing out four or more assists five times this season. Emma Stroyan has blocked 35 shots this season, seventh most in the nation. Tatyana Legette is seventh in the conference with a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Paige Redmond leads the Jennies in both scoring and assists, tallying 16.5 points and 3.7 assists per game. Junior forward Kayonna Lee ranks fourth in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per contest.