BY TRISTAN SASSE
After splitting two regular season head-to-head contests, the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team took on their in-state rival, the Emporia State Hornets, from Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Entering as winners in 11 of their past 12 games, FHSU was able to hold off the Hornets for a 57-54 victory.
Prior to this season, Emporia State was 14-1 in the Quarterfinal Round since 2003 and had appeared in seven consecutive MIAA Tournament title games. Additionally, the Tigers snapped a 16-game MIAA Tournament win streak by Emporia State, dating back to the Championship Round in 2012.
Game Recap
The Hornets jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and began 4-for-5 from the field. FHSU answered with a 10-3 run of their own to knot the score up at 13 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. After one, Emporia State held a slight 16-15 advantage.
Fort Hays opened the second quarter with an 8-2 burst to pull ahead 23-18. After starting 4-for-5 from the field, ESU followed with a 3-for-21 shooting stretch. While the Hornets struggled, the Tigers went into halftime with a 30-26 lead.
FHSU shot 42.3% in the first half while holding the Hornets to 27.8%. The Tigers were 0-of-8 from three-point range though. Fort Hays also held a 23-21 rebounding edge but had eight first-half turnovers. The first half only featured a total of three assists, with two being by the Tigers and one by the Hornets.
Carly Heim and Emma Stroyan led FHSU with six points each, while Tatyana Legette added five points and five rebounds. Taylor Rolfs also had five rebounds. For Emporia State, Jacee Kramer had nine points, while Marissa Preston followed with five points. Morgan Laudan led all players with six first-half rebounds.
ESU regained command early in the second half with a 7-2 spurt. Just over midway through the third quarter, the game was in a deadlock at 35. After a dominant end to the quarter by Emporia State, the Hornets took a 42-37 advantage into the final quarter.
Through the first six minutes of the final quarter, FHSU outscored Emporia State 6-0 to take a 43-42 lead. In the ensuing minutes, the Tigers maintained a slim margin. Due to strong free throw shooting down the stretch, Fort Hays was able to escape the Quarterfinal Round with a 57-54 victory.
By the Numbers
On the afternoon, FHSU shot 34.8%, while the Hornets finished at 31.3%. The Tigers shot 1-of-15 from three-point range but connected on their only make in the final period. Additionally, Fort Hays was out-rebounded 45-36 but forced 18 turnovers.
For the Tigers, Heim finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Legette added nine points and nine rebounds, while Rolfs contributed with nine points and five rebounds off the bench.
On the other side, Tyra Jones led Emporia State with a game-high 14 points and 12 rebounds. Jessica Wayne added a double-double of her own, with 11 points and 12 rebounds as a reserve. Kramer had an additional 11 points, while Preston finished with 10 points.
Looking Ahead
The No. 3 seeded Tigers (24-5) advance to the MIAA Semifinal Round where they will face the No. 2 seed Pittsburg State Gorillas (23-6). The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 3 at 12 PM in Municipal Auditorium. FHSU defeated Pittsburg State 75-70 from Gross Memorial Coliseum earlier this season. Meanwhile, Emporia State ended their season with a record of 17-11.