By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team earned its 20th consecutive home win Saturday afternoon (Feb. 16), holding off Lincoln, 73-59. The Tigers (23-1, 14-1) maintain a two-game lead in the MIAA standings after the win, while the Blue Tigers dip to 10-14 overall and 2-13 in league play.
The Tigers cleaned up the offensive glass all afternoon, scoring 22 second-chance points after 19 offensive rebounds. Lincoln outshot FHSU for the game, 41.0 percent to 39.7 percent, but the Black and Gold Tigers made seven more free throws and three more three-pointers to pull away.
Both sides got out to a slow start, combining for just eight points over the first five minutes of action. Things heated up for the Tigers down the stretch, however, as they hit 6-of-8 from the floor over the final five minutes to go in front by nine, 22-13.
The Tigers continues to pull away in the second quarter, leading by as many as 15 before taking a 14-point advantage into the locker room. The Fort Hays State offense was very balanced in the first half, with six different players scoring at least six points before the break. Whitney Randall scored a team-high eight points before halftime, including a put-back layup that barely beat the horn to put the Tigers in front 42-28.
Lincoln battled back in the second half, outscoring the Tigers by one in the third quarter (15-14) before closing within eight in the final frame. The visitors went on a pair of seven-point runs in the fourth quarter, but Fort Hays State had an answer each time. After the first run, Taylor Rolfs buried a three-pointer to pad the lead back to 12 before an old-fashioned three-point play from Belle Barbieri stretched it to 15, 65-50. And after the Blue Tigers closed within eight with 2:30 to play, FHSU closed the game on an 8-2 run to secure the victory.
Randall posted her first career double-double in the victory, totaling 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Tatyana Legette (15 points, 11 rebounds) added her third double-double in the last four games, giving the Tigers a pair of double-doubles for the second time this season. Legette also dished out a team-high six assists for the second game in a row. Barbieri matched Legette with a team-high 15 points, while Lanie Page added 10.
With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Tigers have a chance to clinch at least a share of the MIAA regular season championship as early as Thursday (Feb. 16) when they travel to take on Central Oklahoma. First tip from Edmond, Okla. is set for 5:30 p.m.