By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The #23/#22 Fort Hays State women’s basketball team cruised to another double-digit victory Saturday afternoon (Nov. 9) at the 2024 Central Region Showcase, defeating MSU Moorhead 65-41. The Tigers completed the opening weekend inside the St. Joseph Civic Arena 2-0, moving to 6-0 inside the building the DII era, while the Dragons are 0-2 to start the year.
Olivia Hollenbeck won the opening tip and scored the first points of the game 16 seconds later off a pass from Katie Wagner DeGarmo, putting the Tigers in front where they would stay for the remainder of the afternoon.
Fort Hays State scored the first six points, holding the Dragons scoreless on their first four possessions. MSUM then scored on back-to-back trips down the floor before the Tiger defense held the Dragons without a field goal for nearly six minutes, allowing FHSU to build a 21-6 lead. Moorhead hit the final shot of the frame, closing within 21-8 after 10 minutes. Hollenbeck totaled eight points in the quarter, matching the offensive output of the entire Dragon squad.
Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net in the second quarter, combining to shoot 8-of-29 from the floor. FHSU managed a slim 12-11 scoring margin in the frame to take a 33-19 lead into halftime.
The Tiger defense again limited Moorhead to just eight points in the third quarter, giving FHSU the chance to build the lead to 20 by the end of the frame, 47-27. Brooke Loewe created havoc for the Dragons, poking away four steals and creating three assists in the stanza.
Fort Hays State had its best shooting quarter over the final 10 minutes, connecting on 7-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Four different players knocked down 3-pointers in the last frame in Megan Earney, Maddy Powell, Sasha Koenig and Talexa Weeter.
The Tigers shot 41.9 percent from the floor (26-of-62) while limiting the Dragons to a 25.5 percent shooting effort (14-of-55). Fort Hays State totaled 17 steals, its most in a game in nearly a year (12/17/23 at Newman), taking advantage to the tune of 27 points off turnovers. The Tigers outscored MSUM 17-0 in fast break opportunities and 32-12 in the paint.
Fort Hays State put together a balanced offensive attack, with 12 different players hitting at least one field goal. Hollenbeck again led the team in scoring, totaling 19 points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. DeGarmo racked up seven points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals, while Loewe contributed five points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Tigers will return to the friendly confines of Gross Memorial Coliseum next weekend (Nov. 15-16) when they host Adams State and MSU Denver in a pair of non-conference matchups. The Tigers will battle ASU on Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m. before taking on MSU Denver on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Friday
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The #23/#22-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team opened the 2024-25 season Friday (Nov. 8) with a wire-to-wire victory over Augustana, winning 78-62 in the first game of the 2024 Central Region Showcase.
The Tigers opened the game on an 11-2 run over the first four minutes of action, taking the lead and never looking back. FHSU forced five turnovers during that span while knocking down 5-of-8 from the floor to start the year.
The Vikings settled in after the first media timeout, closing within 15-11 by the end of the first quarter. Katie Wagner DeGarmo and Talexa Weeter each hit 3-pointers in the first minute of the second quarter, helping FHSU push the lead back to double figures, 21-11. Augustana battled back to close within four on three different occasions before the Tigers took a 30-24 lead into the locker room.
While DeGarmo’s 11 points and nine points from Kate Dilsaver helped propel the Tigers in the first half, it was Olivia Hollenbeck that took control after the break. The fifth-year forward went off for 25 points in the second half, knocking down 10-of-13 from the floor, 5-of-5 from the free-throw line and adding five rebounds.
The Tigers stepped things up another gear on offense in the third quarter, knocking down 10-of-17 from the floor (58.8 percent) to total 31 points in the frame. Hollenbeck had 17 in the less than eight minutes of action in the stanza, burying 7-of-8 from the floor and a trio of free-throws to help FHSU push the lead to 17, 61-44.
Augustana scored the first five points in the fourth quarter, closing within 12, before the Tigers pushed the lead back to 15 where it would stay for the rest of the afternoon.
Fort Hays State finished the game shooting 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from deep and 72 percent (18-of-25) from the free-throw line. The Tigers forced 22 Augustana turnovers, creating 15 points off turnovers.
The Tigers won the game in the paint, outscoring the Vikings 40-26. FHSU outrebounded its opponent by 13, 48-35, including 16 offensive rebounds that created 15 second-chance points.
Hollenbeck led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 12-of-16 from the floor alongside seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals. Dilsaver racked up 15 points on 6-of-8 from the floor, including both of her 3-point attempts. DeGarmo totaled 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Dilsaver and Brooke Loeweboth distributed four assists, while Weeter collected a team-high eight rebounds alongside seven points.
Olivia Hayenga led the Vikings with 19 points thanks in part to four 3-pointers.