Story by ASHER JOHNSON Photos by KATIE KUHLMAN & JORDYN BREDENBERG
Tiger Media Network
Fort Hays State women’s basketball returned to Gross Memorial Coliseum over the weekend to play Missouri Southern and in-state rival No. 5 Pittsburg State. FHSU defeated MSSU 64-55 on Thursday to set up one of the most anticipated games of the year in Division II women’s basketball on Saturday.
Olivia Hollenbeck fights for the ball during tipoff. 
Katie DeGarmo steps back for a three pointer. 
Katie DeGarmo moves the ball around her opponent to create space between them. 
Talexa Weeter moves past her defender to make the basket. 
Ellie Stearns stiff arms her opponent to go up for the layup. 
Talexa Weeter uses her outside hand to secure the layup. 
Olivia Hollenbeck drives into the basket for the two points. 
Student Engagement hosted a Basketball Success Night where the first 200 students got a free Stuff a Tiger voucher and a concession voucher for a slice of pizza or popcorn and a drink. 
Olivia Hollenback tries to move through her defenders to get the layup. 
Hollenbeck fights for a loose ball with MSSU 
On a day when the Tigers recognized six seniors, FHSU dispatched the Gorillas 76-60 to push their winning streak to 11 games.
Fort Hays State (24-2, 15-2) jumped out the gate with a 16-4 run led by Olivia Hollenbeck who scored the first seven points of the game for the Tigers. However, Sophomore Talexa Weeter led the Tigers in the first quarter with 11 points as FHSU ended the period leading 25-12.
The catalyst for FHSU’s balanced scoring was junior point guard Brooke Loewe, who dished out four of her game-high 11 assists in the first quarter. With her first assist to Hollenbeck, Loewe became the FHSU single-season assists leader. Loewe credits her team and the Gross Memorial Coliseum crowd for helping the Tigers play well.
“Our biggest thing was just to play our game,” Loewe said. “We knew if we played our way, that we could come out and beat them. Shoutout to our fan base because it was huge and helped out a lot.”
Hollenbeck and Katie DeGarmo paced FHSU with 17 points apiece while Weeter added 11. Ellie Stearns scored nine points on three straight three-pointers in the second quarter, which gave the Tigers the momentum they needed to keep Pitt State (24-3, 16-1) at bay.
Loewe added 10 points to go with her 11 assists for a double-double. She now has 177 assists on the season, putting her ahead of Kristi Leeper-Meis, who had 166 assists in the 1990-91 season. Loewe is having her best season as a Tiger, averaging 7.1 assists per game, to go along with 7.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and a 38.6 three-point shooting percentage – all career highs.
Loewe said had no idea she was even close to the record coming into this game.
“I honestly didn’t even know I was anywhere close to the record, but props to my teammates because it’s not an assist without their make,” she said.
FHSU is now just one game back from Pitt State in the MIAA standings with two games against UNK left on the schedule. The Tigers will host the Lopers on Wednesday at 5:30 in a make-up game from earlier this year before traveling to Kearney on Saturday for the regular-season finale.