\u201cThe first half was really good. I don\u2019t know if we could\nhave played better offensively,\u201d said Tony Hobson, head coach of the Tigers. \u201cWe\nhad good ball movement and did a good job of locating the open person. And as\nusual we are pretty unselfish. Whoever is open usually ends up with the ball.\nTonight they were going in for a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fort Hays started the game 9-12 from beyond the arc and finished\nthe first half 9-14 from three-point land on their way to a 43-18 lead going\ninto intermission. Five different Tigers hit from deep, led by Taylor Rolfs\u2019\n3-3 three-point shooting and Kacey Kennett\u2019s half-court buzzer beater at the\nend of the first quarter. Lanie Page finished with a team-high 15 points, which\nincluded three triples of her own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur shots weren\u2019t falling a little bit last game, but right\noff the bat our shots were falling [tonight],\u201d said Page. \u201cIf your shot is\nfalling, everything is good. We felt really comfortable after our shots were\ngoing in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Tigers hot shooting from deep played a major role in\ntaking such a commanding lead in the game\u2019s early stages, the interior play of\njunior forward, Belle Barbieri, provided an equally effective punch. Barbieri finished\nthe first half with just four points, but she also pulled down six rebounds \u2013\nthree of which were offensive \u2013 blocked two shots and dished out two assists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBelle is just relentless on the glass,\u201d said Hobson. \u201cA lot of times Belle will tip it about three times, tip it out and run it down because she can beat everybody to it. I think the last ten games she has averaged about 11 [rebounds] a game.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barbieri finished with ten points, 13 rebounds \u2013 five offensive\n— three blocks and two assists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe rest of the Tigers followed Barbieri\u2019s lead on the glass,\nas FHSU outrebounded Washburn 47-27, including 15 offensive rebounds. FHSU led\nthe MIAA in rebounding during the regular season, and their propensity to clean\nthe glass has followed them to Kansas City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt takes so much pressure off you,\u201d said Hobson of FHSU\u2019s\nability to rebound. \u201cIt takes a little bit of pressure off when you\u2019re getting about\nevery fourth miss you\u2019re rebounding and get another possession. Getting an\noffensive rebound is just as important as getting a turnover, you get the ball\nback.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Page enjoys having teammates \u2013 such as Barbieri \u2013 who are so\ndominant on the glass. She said it makes her job easier on the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really nice on the boards [having Barbieri] at least\nfor me, because I really don\u2019t crash the boards so much and I can just \u2013 sorry coach\n\u2013 I can just stand there and watch her do it,\u201d Page said with a laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s\nreally nice to be able to count on her even when I\u2019m not going [to the glass].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Lanie\u2019s defense, she\u2019s not supposed to go the glass, she\u2019s\nour safety,\u201d Hobson interjected. \u201cIt seems kind of funny to have your 6\u20193\u201d kid\nbe your safety, but there are a lot of things we do that are funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tigers will await the winner of Central Missouri and\nLindenwood to determine who they will play in the MIAA championship on Sunday.\nWith less than 24 hours of turnaround, Hobson said the Tigers will focus on\nrecovering their energy in advance of their next game, as well as preparing\ntheir game plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve only played both of these teams each once \u2013 one of\nthem fairly recently and the other two months ago,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not unfamiliar\nwith them, we\u2019ll probably have to play a little more defensively. We might not\nhave as many things figured out, we\u2019ll just have to be fundamental. They are\nboth good offensive teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tigers finished with five players in double figures.\nJoining Page and Barbieri were Whitney Clampitt (12 points), Taylor Rolfs (11 points),\nand Kacey Kennett (10 points). The Tigers shot 50 percent from three-point\nland, and 43 percent from the field. FHSU held Washburn to just 30 percent\nshooting and limited the Ichabods to just five second-quarter points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip-off for the 2019 MIAA women\u2019s championship game is\nscheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m. from Municipal Auditorium. <\/p>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n
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