By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team hit more than 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded Rogers State by 13 in a 78-49 win Thursday evening at home (Feb. 10). The win gives the Tigers their 11th-straight 20 win season, the longest active streak in Division II.
The Tigers (20-3, 14-3 MIAA) had a well-balance offensive attack, with nine different players scoring at least five points in the victory. Fort Hays State got big contributions off the bench, with the bench outscoring the starting lineup, 43-35.
Rogers State (10-14, 6-12 MIAA) held the Tigers in check early, leading 8-4 five minutes into the game. Katie Wagner was the lone Tiger to score over the first six minutes before three different players combined to go 5-for-5 from the field and help the Tigers close the first on a 10-0 run. Jessie Sallach opened the run with a layup before Lauren West tied things up at 10-10 with a layup. Cydney Bergmann put the Tigers on top with another layup before Sallach and West both scored again to end the frame.
The visitors closed within three multiple times in the second quarter, but another big run going into halftime gave the Tigers a 35-21 lead at the break. Fort Hays State scored the final 11 points of the quarter thanks to a defense that forced nine-straight missed shots and created three turnovers.
Olivia Hollenbeck got to work in the third quarter, scoring eight of her team-high 14 points in that frame. Jaden Hobbs and Whitney Randall both added 3-pointers in the quarter to help push the Tiger lead to 21 points. The end-of-quarter trend continued in the third, with FHSU scoring the final 11 points over the last three minutes to take a 56-35 lead into the final stanza.
Seven different players scored for the Tigers in the fourth quarter, including another triple from Hobbs and one from Emma Ruddle. Fort Hays State led by as many as 32 after a pull-up jumper from West fell in the final 20 seconds, 78-46, before the Hillcats hit a 3-pointer on the final shot of the game.
Fort Hays State hit 51.8 percent from the floor (29-of-56) and 88.9 percent from the line (16-of-18) while holding Rogers State to just 33.3 percent shooting (21-of-63) and just six free-throw attempts (4-of-6). The Tigers dominated on the boards, grabbing 42 rebounds compared to 29 for the Hillcats.
Kate Dilsaver scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting in just 17 minutes of play off the bench, while Randall totaled 11 points. Sallach added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Hobbs and Sydney Golladay both distributed four assists.
The Tigers will look to avenge Monday’s loss to Northeastern State on Saturday (Feb. 12) when FHSU hosts the RiverHawks beginning at 2 p.m.