BY TRISTAN SASSE
For the second consecutive game, the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team led from start to finish before cruising to a victory. On Saturday, December 16, the Tigers faced the Rockhurst Hawks in Kansas City, Missouri. After a highly contested first half, FHSU outscored the Hawks 36-24 in the second half before going on to win 67-50.
Game Recap
Rockhurst began 1-for-11 from the field as the Tigers took an early 11-3 lead. Although both teams continued to struggle from the field, the Hawks answered with a 5-0 run to pull within three. FHSU would go on to lead 18-14 after one. Fort Hays shot 28.6% in the first quarter, while holding the Hawks to 27.8%. Both teams combined to shoot 9-for-32 in the opening quarter.
With eight minutes left in the half, Rockhurst trailed 18-17. Soon after, the Tigers jumped out to a 24-19 advantage. With 3:07 left in the half, FHSU led 26-24. At the end of the first half, Fort Hays had a 31-26 lead.
FHSU shot 37.5% in the first half, compared to 28.6% by Rockhurst. The Tigers also made nine more free throws and had six more rebounds in the opening half.
Leading the Tigers was Carly Heim, with 10 first-half points. Additionally, Tatyana Legette added eight points and seven rebounds. For the Hawks, Jillian Myers had 10 points and four rebounds.
Fort Hays began the second half on an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 13. With 5:08 left in the third, Rockhurst cut the deficit to seven. Another strong spark by the Tigers helped the lead grow to 14, at 47-33, near the end of the quarter. FHSU led by as many as 16 before going into the final quarter ahead 53-42.
The Tigers maintained a 56-44 lead with 7:09 left in the game. With just under five minutes remaining, FHSU still held a 12 point lead. Fort Hays extended the lead to 17 in the closing minutes. The Tigers led by as many as 21 on the afternoon before cruising to a 67-50 victory.
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By the Numbers
The Tigers finished the game shooting 40% from the field, while Rockhurst ended at 31.7%. FHSU also out-rebounded the Hawks 44-31 and shot 24-of-31 from the free throw line.
For the Tigers, Heim finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Legette added 14 points and nine rebounds. Additionally, Emma Stroyan and Belle Barbieri had seven rebounds each.
For the Hawks, Madeline Ronshausen led Rockhurst with 20 points, while Myers added 15 points and six rebounds.
Looking Ahead
FHSU (9-2) will return home to take on the Midland University Warriors (8-6) on Tuesday, December 19. Also on Tuesday, Rockhurst (6-4) will head to Warrensburg, Missouri to face the University of Central Missouri (8-1).