By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The third-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team took care of business inside Gross Memorial Coliseum once again Saturday (Jan. 8), racing past Lincoln, 92-57. The Tigers distributed 29 assists on 34 made baskets, FHSU’s most against a Division II opponent during the Tony Hobson era and the third-most in a game since the 2008-09 season.
Lincoln (4-10, 0-8 MIAA) scored the first five points of the game but it was all Fort Hays State after that. The Tigers scored 16-straight points over a four-minute span in the first quarter, including eight points in 37 seconds that gave FHSU the lead for good.
Jaden Hobbs opened the run with a 3-pointer from the left wing before Whitney Randall tied the score at 7-7 with a layup following a steal from Sydney Golladay. Randall then made another quick steal before Hobbs buried a second triple from nearly the same spot. Golladay and Hobbs each added another 3-pointer during the run before Cydney Bergmann pushed the lead to double figures with another layup off a turnover.
After leading by 13 at the end of the first quarter, 24-11, the Tigers doubled that lead to 26 points by halftime after hitting 65 percent from the floor in the second quarter (13-of-20). Seven different Tigers scored in the second frame, including nine points from Katie Wagner and six from Emma Ruddle. Ruddle scored four points in five seconds in the middle of the frame after stealing an inbounds pass and turning it into a layup on back-to-back Lincoln possessions.
Fort Hays State added 12 more points to its lead in the third quarter thanks to two 3-pointers from Golladay and one each from Hobbs and Ruddle. Hobbs was busy orchestrating the offense in the third quarter, dishing out six of her season-high 10 assists.
The Tigers led by as many as 39 points midway through the fourth quarter on a Randall 3-pointer before Megan Earney buried a triple in the waning seconds, Fort Hays State’s season-high 12th of the game.
The Tigers scored 20 points off 19 Lincoln turnovers while outscoring the Blue Tigers by 16 in the paint, 36-20. FHSU scored a whopping 28 points on fast breaks, compared to just one for Lincoln.
FHSU hit 49.3 percent from the floor (34-of-69) and 46.2 percent from behind the arc (12-of-26) while holding Lincoln to a shooting percentage of 35.7 percent (20-of-56).
Katie Wagner led the Tigers with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting while adding six rebounds and five assists. Jaden Hobbs recorded her fifth-career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, while Randall just missed out on a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Ruddle tallied 12 points and two steals while Golladay contributed nine points, eight assists and four steals. Nine different players scored in the game for FHSU, with all scoring at least six points.
Ayreona Carter led the Blue Tigers with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Now tied for first in the MIAA after a Nebraska-Kearney loss, the Tigers will wrap up the homestand Wednesday (Jan. 12) when Northwest Missouri State comes to town. First tip between the Tigers and Bearcats is slated for 5:30 p.m