Story by MAYAN PAZ Photos by RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
Before leaving Hays to play four consecutive games on the road, the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team hosted two in-conference games teams over the last days of winter break.
On Thursday, the Tigers were unable to get past Missouri Western State. Katie Wagner missed a game-tying free-throw attempt with 1.4 seconds on the game clock and the Tigers lost 70-69. Two days later, FHSU returned to GMC and impressed with an 84-60 bounce-back win over Northwest Missouri State.
Guards Kate Dilsaver and Bailey Wilborn scramble for a loose ball. 
Forward Olivia Hollenbeck scored 14 points against Missouri Western in 28 minutes. 
Dilsaver clashes with a Griffon for possession. 
Hollenbeck attempts a layup past Griffon defense. 
Guard Brooke Loewe applies pressure on a Griffon. 
Dilsaver looks for a teammates to pass to. 
Dilsaver looks for an open teammate while Katie DeGarmo sets a screen. 
Loewe dribbles past tough Griffon defense. 
Dilsaver attempts a field goal. 
Loewe dribbles into Griffon territory as DeGarmo screens a defender.
Olivia Hollenbeck started the game well for the Tigers with six consecutive points, but the Bearcats held on during the first quarter, and the score was a 21-19 lead to the Tigers after the first 10 minutes.
“It was nice to get some early points. I feel like that always helps me a little bit down the stretch to get a few buckets early, and then some usually just carry over,” Hollenbeck said. “So I was fortunate to get that. And yeah, thought we had a great start.”
The second quarter started with a 12-4 run by the Tigers to extend their lead, led by Brooke Loewe and Talexa Weeter. Fort Hays never looked back, gradually increasing the lead to 17 at the half.
The Tigers (14-2, 5-2) had five players score in double digits. The second half belonged to Kate Dilsaver, with 12 second-half points, and Wagner, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds. Fort Hays extended its lead to 32 points during the fourth quarter, and the game ended with a convincing 24-point victory.
FHSU Head Coach Talia Kahrs was pleased with the way the team performed.
“It’s definitely huge to come back from what we did on Thursday and come back and show up like they did,” Kahrs said. “I thought they did a good job at coming ready yesterday and today. At the shootaround, they were just prepared. You could tell they were engaged. They knew what they wanted to do, and I think it showed today.”
Head coach Talia Kahrs details the team’s gameplan during a timeout. 
Forward Olivia Hollenbeck attempts a free throw. 
Guard Brooke Loewe looks for a teammate to pass the ball to. 
A missed shot causes a chaotic scramble for a rebound between the Tigers and Bearcats. 
Loewe dashes into Bearcat territory past Caely Kesten. 
Guard Kate Dilsaver leaps over Bearcat defense to attempt a shot. 
Guard Bailey Wilborn looks past a blocking defender to maintain Tiger possession. 
Wilborn passes the ball to a Fort Hays teammate. 
Hollenbeck tied with Dilsaver for the second most points scored in the game for the Tigers with 14. 
Talexa Weeter and Avery Lowe clash with Bearcat defenders for a rebound. 
Forward Avery Lowe passes a live ball away from Evelyn Vazquez. 
Guard Callie Ott sprints around a Bearcat defender. 
Dilsaver scored 14 points with six field goals made and one 3-pointer in 23 minutes played. 
The Tigers huddle up before taking on the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats.
Kahrs also responded to Wagner’s ability to lift her head after the missed free throw at the end of Thursday’s loss and to perform as well as she did versus Northwest on Saturday.
“She is committed to winning and doing whatever she can to win,” she said. “I think she’s been in that situation a lot, unfortunately, on the bad side of things, but she just does a good job of understanding that she’s just gonna go out the next time and do everything she can do to win. I don’t think she takes it too personally. There were a lot of other plays before that that could have won the game for us.
The Tigers will kick off a four-game road trip on Thursday against Rogers State.