By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The No. 6 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team renews one of its oldest rivalries Saturday (Feb. 2) when the Tigers make the short trip to take on Nebraska-Kearney. First tip between the Tigers and Lopers is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Health and Sports Center.
After two home wins last week, the Tigers head into the weekend 18-1 overall and 9-1 in MIAA play. The Lopers enter the contest 12-7 on the year and 5-5 against league competition.
Fort Hays State opened conference play with a grind-it-out 62-53 win over Nebraska-Kearney back in December in Hays (12/4/18), thanks in large part to Tatyana Legette’s second double-double of the year. The senior totaled 23 points and 13 rebounds, making 11-of-12 from the free throw line. FHSU outscored the Lopers by 17 at the charity stripe, 23-6. UNK led by one early before the Tigers pulled in front by as many as 14 in the first half. A third quarter run brought the Lopers within two, but FHSU bounced back down the stretch to secure the win.
The Tigers have met up with Nebraska-Kearney more often than any other program, with Saturday’s contest serving as the 92nd meeting of a series that began back in 1972. The Tigers hold a 55-36 edge in the series, including a 16-2 advantage under Tony Hobson. FHSU is 21-23 all-time in Kearney against the Lopers, but the Tigers have won eight-straight on the road. Hobson has never lost to UNK in Kearney.
This is the second time the Tigers have traveled to Kearney after winning a pair of non-conference contests inside the Health and Sports Center in November. FHSU easily dispatched of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Chadron State during the first month of the season, scoring an average of 84.5 points in those two contests.
While the Tigers currently sit in a tie for first place in the MIAA standings at the halfway point of the league season, Nebraska-Kearney heads into Saturday ranked seventh in the league standings. The Lopers have played well at home, winning 10 of 12 contests inside the Health and Sports Center. UNK boasts the second-best defense in the league, allowing just 59.2 points per contest, leading to the third-best scoring margin in the conference (+11.4). The Lopers and Tigers allow an identical 37.0 shooting percentage to their opponents. Kelsey Sanger (11.0 ppg) and Brooke Carlson (10.9 ppg) are the lone Lopers averaging in double figures this year