By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
EMPORIA, Kan. – The No. 3/1 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team fought back from its largest deficit of the season, but a late three-point heave fell in for Emporia State, giving the Lady Hornets a 54-51 victory Wednesday evening (Jan. 16). The Tigers fall to 15-1 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play, while the Lady Hornets are now 12-4 on the year and 3-3 in league action.
After the teams were tied going into the locker room, Emporia State opened the second half on a 12-0 run to take control. FHSU turned the ball over on each of its first four possessions in the third quarter, giving the Lady Hornets the chance to put together a big run. Belle Barbieri finally put the Tigers on the board in the second half with a layup nearly five minutes into the period.
The teams traded blows for the rest of the third quarter before the Tigers started their rally in the fourth quarter. An early jumper from Whitney Clampitt got Fort Hays State going before eight-straight points from Taylor Rolfs helped the Tigers close within one, 47-46. Emporia State answered with a layup to go back in front by three, but Tatyana Legette quickly cut it back to one on a layup after a dish from Whitney Clampitt.
The score stayed the same for more than two minutes before Rolfs came through once again. The guard buried her third triple of the quarter from the left wing with 1:51 on the clock, giving the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter. After holding ESU to just four points over the first eight-plus minutes in the quarter, the Lady Hornets scored the final five points over the final 84 seconds to take the lead for good. With the shot clock ticking down, Addie Lackey fired a 3-pointer from well behind the arc that fell through the hoop with 17 seconds to go, sealing the victory.
The Tigers jumped out to as good a start as possible, drilling a trio of three-pointers over the first three minutes of action while holding Emporia State scoreless, forcing the Lady Hornets to burn a quick timeout. The home team battled back by the end of the frame, leveling the score at 13-13 after 10 minutes of play.
Despite the three early makes from behind the arc, the Tigers finished 3-for-15 from deep in the first half. Both teams struggled in the second quarter, scoring just 12 points apiece to go into halftime tied up at 25-25.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 18-for-60 from the floor (30.0 percent), their lowest shooting percentage of the season. Emporia State compiled a shooting percentage of 35.9 percent in the win (23-of-64). The Lady Hornets corralled 11 offensive rebounds in the second half.
Rolfs paced the Tigers with 13 points, with Lanie Page and Kacey Kennett adding 10 points each. Legette matched her career high with 15 rebounds while adding nine points, four assists and one steal.
The Tigers will return to action Saturday (Jan. 19) when they travel to Topeka, Kan. to take on Washburn as a part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase. First tip from Lee Arena is set for 1:05 p.m. Fans can catch the game on the Fort Hays State Facebook page, @NCAADII on Twitter, and local television stations to be announced.