By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team put on a 3-point shooting clinic in the first half Monday afternoon (Jan. 2), pouring in a season-high 11 triples before intermission en route to an 85-68 road win over Lincoln. The Tigers (12-4, 7-1 MIAA) finished the game with 12 3-pointers while hitting a season-best 56.4 percent from the floor (31-of-55) and 52.2 percent from behind the arc (12-of-23).
After the Tigers won the tip and missed on their first attempt, the teams combined to pour in eight shots in a row, including three triples each. Despite averaging 3.8 3-point field goals per game entering the contest, the Blue Tigers (2-10, 0-6 MIAA) took a 14-11 lead on their fourth 3-pointer less than four minutes into the game.
Fort Hays State responded with eight-straight points, taking the lead for good on a pair of buckets from Olivia Hollenbeck and Jessie Sallach. Lincoln closed within two late in the first quarter before Emma Ruddle drilled FHSU’s fifth triple on the final shot of the frame.
After hitting a pair of shots from behind the arc in the opening 10 minutes, sophomore Megan Earney added three more in the second period for a career-high 15 points in less than 15 minutes of playing time before the break. Her fifth long-range connection in the final minute of the half helped the Tigers push their lead to 16, 54-38.
The Tigers scored 27 points in each of the first two quarters, their most in a quarter this season, while their 54 points in the opening half is their highest-scoring half of the year to date.
The Fort Hays State defense turned things around in the second quarter, limiting LU to just two field goals and creating six turnovers after the Blue Tigers hit 9-of-16 in the opening frame.
The pace slowed after halftime, with both teams creating more turnovers on defense. Fort Hays State still hit 50 percent from the floor in both the third and fourth quarters. The Black and Gold Tigers led by as many as 25 early in the fourth quarter on a driving layup from Ruddle before the Blue Tigers made one final push, scoring nine in a row to close within 16. But Fort Hays State bounced back down the stretch, outscoring the home team 11-10 over the final five-plus minutes of the contest.
All 11 Tigers that saw the floor scored at least three points, including eight with five or more points. Four scored in double figures, led by Earney’s 15 points. Sallach had 14 on 6-of-8 shooting, with Hollenbeck adding 12 points and Ruddle totaling 10. Sydney Golladay distributed a team-high eight assists, tied for the most by a Tiger this season. Hollenbeck grabbed a team-high four rebounds while blocking two shots.
Fort Hays State returns to Gross Memorial Coliseum on Thursday (Jan. 5) when the Tigers host ninth-ranked Missouri Southern in a matchup of the 2021-22 MIAA co-Champions beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – A battle between the top two teams in the MIAA women’s basketball standings lived up to the billing Saturday afternoon (Dec. 31), with 11th-ranked Central Missouri holding on to defeat Fort Hays State by one point, 63-62. The Tigers had a chance to win at the buzzer after holding the Jennies scoreless for the final three-plus minutes, but a corner 3-pointer in the waning seconds was off the mark.
The Tigers were battling from behind all afternoon after Central Missouri (10-0, 6-0 MIAA) scored the first five points of the game. Sydney Golladay got the Tigers (11-4, 6-1 MIAA) on the board with a 3-pointer before adding another triple two minutes later, ending a 6-0 Jennie run.
Jessie Sallach dropped in her second layup of the game in the final minute of the first quarter to close within three before UCM ended the frame with another basket, pushing the lead to 19-14 after 10 minutes of play.
The Tigers closed within two on four separate occasions early in the second quarter before a six-plus minute scoreless stretch allowed the Jennies to push their lead as high as nine. Golladay ended the drought with 35 seconds to go until halftime with her third 3-pointer of the half.
While the offense was unable to find a rhythm, the Tiger defense forced seven-consecutive missed shots by the Jennies over the final seven-plus minutes of the first half. UCM did all of its damage at the charity stripe, hitting 9-of-10 free throws to build a 34-26 halftime lead.
Sallach helped the Tigers close within one midway through the third quarter with six early points in the second half. The Jennies responded to a 6-0 Tiger run with seven-consecutive points of their own. Megan Earney broke up the run with a triple before Ellie Stearns poured in another 3-pointer just before the end of the quarter.
The Tigers outscored UCM 16-11 in the fourth quarter, but were never able to get over the hump and take the lead. The Jennies pushed their lead back to eight midway through the quarter and led by six with 3:10 remaining before the Tigers made one final push.
Sallach fought her way into the paint for her sixth bucket of the game with 90 seconds to go before Kate Dilsaverpoked away a steal on the defensive end. Earney drilled a deep 3-pointer from the right wing with 38 seconds on the clock, helping the Tigers close within one. The Tiger defense forced the Jennies into a tough shot that was missed, giving FHSU its chance to steal the win that was ultimately missed.
The Jennies outscored FHSU at the line by nine, 21-12. Fort Hays State was whistled for 25 fouls, compared to just 19 on the Jennies.
Golladay finished the game with a career-high 17 points thanks to a personal-best four 3-pointers while adding a team-high five assists. Sallach tallied a season-high 13 points and led the Tigers with six rebounds.