By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team used a dominant second half to come from behind and defeat Northwest Missouri State Sunday afternoon (Dec. 11), 67-52. The Tigers trailed by as many as nine in the first half before doubling up the Bearcats after the break, 38-19.
Fort Hays State jumped out to a hot start, knocking more than half of its attempts in the opening quarter to lead by as many as nine. But the Bearcats were even more efficient, hitting 72.7 percent in the opening frame (8-of-11). Northwest closed the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a one-point lead, 21-20.
The Bearcats continued to add to their lead early in the second quarter, going in front by as many as nine, 29-20, after holding the Tigers scoreless for nearly five minutes. Ellie Stearns helped the Tigers break out of the funk with a 3-pointer, helping FHSU close the first half on a 9-4 run to close within four, 33-29.
Fort Hays State turned on the jets after halftime, knocking down eight of its first nine shots to race back in front by nine. The Tiger defense forced seven turnovers during that six-minute stretch, limiting the Bearcats to four points.
Overall the Tigers hit 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the floor in the second half while forcing 11 Bearcat turnovers over the final 20 minutes of play.
After entering the game ranked second in all Division II with just 11.0 turnovers per game, Fort Hays State forced Northwest into a season-high 19 turnovers. FHSU capitalized to the tune of 26 points off those Bearcat miscues, a new season-high for the Tigers. The Tigers lost the rebound battle for just the second time this season, 31-27.
Four Tigers scored in double figures for the second time this season, led by 17 from Olivia Hollenbeck on 7-of-10 shooting. Sydney Golladay tallied 11 points alongside four assists and two steals, while Katie Wagner and Jessie Sallach both scored 10 points. Ellie Stearns poked away a team-high four steals while Kate Dilsaver matched Golladay with a team-best four assists.
The Tigers will return to Hays next weekend to wrap up the semester with three games in four days. FHSU will host Central Oklahoma on Friday (Dec. 16, 5:30 p.m.), Newman on Sunday (Dec. 18, 2 p.m.) and Bethany on Monday (Dec. 19, 6 p.m.).
Saturday
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team came out on top in a back-and-forth affair against Missouri Western Saturday afternoon (Dec. 10), winning 64-58 on the road. The lead changed hands 13 times on the day, but a strong fourth quarter helped the Tigers (7-3, 3-0 MIAA) pull away to secure their third-straight road win over the Griffons (7-4, 2-2 MIAA).
Megan Earney buried four 3-pointers for the second game in a row, including two early in the fourth quarter that helped the Tigers take the lead for good. Olivia Hollenbecktook control in the paint down the stretch, knocking down 4-of-5 from the floor in the fourth quarter for nine points while grabbing four offensive rebounds to help FHSU stay in front.
Neither side led by more than five in a low-scoring first half. The Griffons scored the first four points, but a pair of Earney triples late in the first quarter put the Tigers up 16-12 after 10 minutes of play. Missouri Western then opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run to go up by five, 23-18. The Tigers bounced back down the stretch, closing the half on a 9-2 run before taking a 27-25 lead with seven seconds left in the half on a left wing 3-pointer from Sydney Golladay.
The Griffons hit four-straight shots to start the second half, taking a game-high eight-point lead after a 10-0 run. Katie Wagner helped the Tigers break out of the funk, scoring seven in a row on her own. FHSU closed within one following Wagner’s second triple of the game before Ellie Stearns tied things up at 37 with a triple of her own. Another Golladay triple pushed the Tiger run to 14-2, matching FHSU’s biggest lead to that point at 41-37.
Missouri Western regained the lead two minutes into the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer, but Earney quickly responded to put the Tigers in front for good.
Wagner led all scorers with 17 points while collecting a game-high nine rebounds. The Maize, Kan. native was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end as well, recording a career-best four blocks and poking away two steals.
Hollenbeck added 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Earney matched her career high with 12 for the second game in a row. Golladay totaled nine points and a season-high seven rebounds. Dilsaver tallied game highs in assists with five and steals with three.
Fort Hays State grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, turning those boards into 12 second-chance points. The Tiger defense created 14 Griffon turnovers with 11 steals while totaling 19 points off turnovers on the other end. The Tigers won the rebound battle by four, 41-37. The Griffons outshot the Tigers from the floor, 38.5 percent to 31.7 percent. However, the Tigers matched their season-high with nine 3-pointers while holding the Griffons to a season-low four 3-pointers. Missouri Western’s 58-point output was its lowest of the season by seven points.