By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
WICHITA, Kan. – The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team used a dominant second half to pull away from Newman on Saturday (Feb. 15), winning 77-36. The Tigers improve to 22-2 on the year and 13-2 in MIAA with the win while the Jets are now 7-18 overall and 2-14 in league action.
After shooting just 32.4 percent from the floor in the first half (12-of-37), the Tigers knocked down 60 percent from the floor after the intermission (18-of-30) to cruise to the win.
The Tigers dominated from the jump, scoring the first 13 points while holding the Jets scoreless for more than five minutes. Katie Wagner DeGarmo scored the first six points for FHSU before Olivia Hollenbeck scored the next seven.
After missing their first five shots and turning the ball over four times, the Jets finally broke through by scoring six in a row to pull within 13-6. Talexa Weeter ended the run with a 3-pointer, giving the Tigers a 16-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. The sophomore proceeded to score five points in the first 76 seconds of the second quarter, going on an 8-0 run herself to push the lead to 21-6.
The teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, with FHSU leading 28-15 at halftime. The Tigers then matched that point total in the third quarter, outscoring the Jets 28-13 to push the lead to 56-28. FHSU pulled away thanks to a 20-3 run midway through the frame where the Tigers hit 8-of-12 from the floor while holding the Jets to 1-of-5 shooting and creating four turnovers.
Fort Hays State continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter, outscoring the home team 21-8 to push the lead as high as 41 points.
Newman’s point total was its lowest scoring output of the season. The Tigers finished the game shooting 44.8 percent (30-of-67) while holding the Jets to 26.8 percent shooting (15-of-56). FHSU outrebounded the Jets by 15, including 14 offensive rebounds. The Tigers scored a season-high 23 second-chance points off those offensive rebounds. FHSU also scored 25 points off 17 Newman turnovers and scored 14 points in transition.
Weeter led all scorers with 17 points in less than 20 minutes of action, while DeGarmo totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds for her second-straight double-double. Hollenbeck racked up 15 points, while Kate Dilsaver accumulated eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block.
The Tigers will play their next three games at home beginning Thursday (Feb. 20) when FHSU hosts Missouri Southern beginning at 5:30 p.m.