FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The sixth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team used a dominant second half and pulled away from Missouri Western for an 87-56 victory at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Brooke Loewe distributed 14 assists in the win, matching her own school record set earlier in the season.
The win snapped a four-game regular season losing streak against the Griffons and was FHSU's largest margin of victory over MWSU in 65 all-time meetings.
The Tigers (12-1, 3-1 MIAA) hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter, building a 10-point lead just eight minutes in. The Griffons (4-9, 0-4 MIAA), however, knocked down five triples over the opening 10 minutes, closing within four late in the frame before a Talexa Weeter 3-point play gave FHSU a 28-21 advantage.
Both teams cooled off in the second stanza, combining to make just nine field goals after pouring in 19 shots in the opening frame. The Tigers missed their first four shot attempts in the quarter, allowing the Griffons to pull within one. But FHSU never gave up the lead and then clamped down on defense, holding the visitors to 2-of-8 shooting while creating eight turnovers over the next seven minutes.
After going into the locker room up 36-31, the Tigers nearly doubled their point total with 31 third-quarter points, their second-highest scoring frame of the season. FHSU hit 11-of-19 in the quarter, including four more 3-pointers. The defense was equally as impressive, holding the Griffons to just four field goals.
FHSU kept things rolling in the fourth quarter, opening the frame on a 12-0 run to build the lead as high as 35, 79-44, before cruising to the win.
Weeter totaled 29 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks to record her fifth double-double of the season and her second in as many games. Olivia Mortensen added 14 points, with Ellie Stearns scoring 11 points on a trio of 3-pointers. Mikayla Pilley also reached double figures, scoring 10 points for the third time this season to give the Tigers four in double figures for the fifth time this season.
Loewe added eight points, six rebounds and five steals to her school-record 14 assists, while Brittan Zeka also totaled eight points.
The Tigers won the rebound battle, 45-37, including an impressive 28-12 edge in the second half. FHSU matched its season high with 18 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds. The Tigers also matched their season-high with 10 3-pointers made.
Up next
FHSU will return to action on Tuesday when the Tigers travel north to take on Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Neb.