By RAEGAN NEUFELD
Tiger Media Network
After the visiting Emporia State Hornets made five 3-pointers and led 21-11 in the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s game, Fort Hays State needed to respond in a big way during the second quarter.
The Tigers did just that, outscoring the Hornets 20-6 before halftime to go up 31-27.
“We weren’t making shots, and they were making shots, so that was hard,” FHSU Head Coach Talia Kahrs said. “But we just adjusted and understood they weren’t going to make those shots all game. I think we were able to really settle in and do a great job of guarding them better.”
FHSU (16-3, 10-3) held its lead for the rest of the game, but it was still a battle, as the Hornets were never too far behind.
“I think we did a good job taking away their tendencies, making them do things they’re uncomfortable doing and then translating that into offense,” junior Megan Earney said.
Earney led FHSU with 20 points on 6-11 three-point shooting.
In the end, aggressiveness on both sides of the ball gave the Tigers the edge they needed to come away with the 72-63 win over Emporia (9-10, 6-7).
“We just needed to keep attacking,” junior Katie Wagner said. “They were shooting it really well but we were too. It made it a competitive game, but it still felt like we had that momentum more than they did and I think that’s what played to our favor in the fourth.”
Bench points were another key to victory for the Tigers, who outscored ESU’s bench 36-5. Earney and Jessie Sallach combined for 32 of those points and had 22 and 21 minutes of playing time, respectively.
“They came in and stepped up,” Kahrs said.
Earney added five rebounds and a 2-2 mark from the free throw line and was just one point shy of her career high.
“Lots of reps in the gym, confidence, and passes from my teammates,” she said of her shooting. “I know when they pass me the ball, they have confidence in me, so that’s a big thing too.”
Sallach finished with 12 points, shooting 4-6 from the field and making all four of her free throw attempts.
Another top scorer for FHSU was Wagner, who recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Emma Ruddle was the fourth Tiger who scored in double digits with 10, and she also recorded three steals. Sydney Gollady dished out a game-high eight assists.
As a team, FHSU shot 45.8% overall, 40% from beyond the arc and went a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. The Hornets also went 8-8 on free throws, shot just slightly better from 3-point range at 40.6%, but finished with an overall field goal percentage of just 36.2.
The top scorers for ESU were Faith Paramore and Gracie Gilpin, who both had 18 points, and Queen Ulabo, who had 15.
FHSU travels east this week to take on Missouri Western on Thursday and Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
“For us, we need to play our game and can’t worry too much about what other people are going to do,” Earney said. “Got to keep our composure and do our thing.”
FHSU’s next home game is at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 against Newman University.
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