Junior Kate Lehman, Newton led the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team (17-7, 10-7 Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association) again as they completed the sweep of Nebraska-Kearney (8-16, 4-13 MIAA) on Saturday, winning 81-53.
Lehman was one block away from her second triple-double of the season. Lehman led the Lady Tigers with 26 points and 12 rebounds, capping her 16th double-double of the season and the 33rd of her career.
Lehman’s nine blocks was enough to push her season total to 124, one more than her last year’s total, which was an FHSU record. She has set the FHSU record for blocked shots in a season in each of her first three seasons.
Lehman scored a career-high 33 points in the last meeting with the Lopers. She averages a double-double for the season with 17.1 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game.
Sophomore Chelsea Mason, Bellevue, Neb., was the only other Lady Tiger to score in double digits adding 13 points off the bench. She also added three steals and three rebounds.
Sophomore point guard Beth Bohuslavsky, Dwight, Neb., put together a complete performance for the tigers with four points on 2-of-3 shooting, two steals, a team-high five assists and eight rebounds which was good enough for third on the team.
Senior Katelyn Edwards, Crete, Neb., started for the first time since a knee injury she sustained in the first meeting with the Lopers. She seemed more confident playing with the knee brace and in 17 minutes she added seven points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Lady Tigers opened the game with a 26-13 run in the first 10 minutes. They led by as much as 20 points in the first half.
A pair of Lehman free throws would close out the half with the Lady Tigers leading 41-26.
An 11-4 Loper run in the first three minutes of the second half cut the Lady Tigers’ lead to eight. The Lady Tigers answered right back with a 23-11 run over the next 10 minutes to extend their lead to 20 points.
That run would seal it for the Lady Tigers; they led by as much a 30 points late in the second half.
The Lady Tigers played strong defensively holding the Lopers to 31 percent from the field and grabbed 35 defensive rebounds.
FHSU shot poorly, a mere 39 percent from the field, but was able to counter that by grabbing 23 offensive rebounds and score 31 second chance points.
The Lady Tigers continue their home stretch on Wednesday with a rematch against Central Oklahoma; tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Senior night is scheduled for this Friday with another rematch against Northeastern State, with a 6 p.m. tipoff.