FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team knocked off another top-10 team inside Gross Memorial Coliseum Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11), defeating ninth-ranked Central Oklahoma 57-44. The Tigers improve to 18-6 overall and 9-6 in MIAA play with the win, while UCO dips to 20-4 and 11-4 in conference action after dropping its third-straight contest.
The Tigers never trailed in the contest, jumping in front with a Nikola Kacperska pull-up jumper on their first possession. The Bronchos tied things up twice in the early going, but never took the lead. Coming in with a shooting percentage of 41 percent, UCO was limited to an abysmal 26.2 percent (17-of-65) from the field, its second-worst game of the season. The Tigers countered by hitting 33.8 percent (23-of-68) of their shots, including 5-of-15 from behind the arc.
Making her first career start, Tatyana Legette took over in the first half, nearly recording a double-double in the first 20 minutes of play. The sophomore finished with 18 points (8-of-11 from the field), 13 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal after posting 14 points and nine rebounds before halftime.
Neither team could find a rhythm in the first quarter, combining to hit just 25 percent from the field. After Kacperska’s early bucket, Legette recorded the other eight Tiger points in the quarter, hitting two 15-foot jumpers and dropping in a pair of layups in traffic. The Bronchos tied the score at 10 with two layups in the final minute of the quarter.
After UCO tied it up again at 12 early in the second quarter, a pair of free throws from Madison Mittie gave the Tigers the lead for good. The two points from the freshman sparked a 10-2 run for the Tigers, expanding the lead to 22-14 on a layup from Legette. The Bronchos charged back with a 7-0 run to cut it to one, but a three-pointer from Kacey Kennett ended the threat. Mittie followed with a triple of her own on the next trip down the floor before Legette made it 30-21 with less than a minute to play on a layup. A pair of Broncho free throws with one second remaining gave the Tigers a 30-23 lead at the break.
Fort Hays State put the game to bed with a 12-2 run to start the third quarter, stretching its lead to 42-25 five-and-a-half minutes into the period. Central Oklahoma closed within single digits on two occasions in the fourth quarter, but never got closer than eight points down.
Legette was the lone Tiger to reach double-figures in scoring, with Kacperska, Jill Faxon, and Kennett chipping in eight points each. Kacperska dished out a team-high three assists.
Jesheon Cooper led the Bronchos with a double-double, tallying 10 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.
In a battle between two of the best rebounding teams in the league, FHSU grabbed six more rebounds than the visitors, 51-45. The Tigers took advantage of 17 offensive rebounds, scoring 19 second chance points.
The teams will meet again next Saturday in Edmond, Okla., but the Tigers will first travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to face off with Northeastern State Thursday evening (Feb. 16) at 5:30 p.m.