FHSU Athletics
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The third-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2024-25 season on Saturday, losing to Missouri Western by one, 67-66. The Tigers (12-1, 3-1 MIAA) led by as many as 11 in the first half, but a basket with less than four seconds remaining handed the Griffons (9-3, 4-0 MIAA) the lead for good.
The Griffons have now won five of the last seven games against the Tigers, with all five of those MWSU wins being decided by three or fewer points.
Despite the early 11 a.m. start, both teams showed up to the gym ready to play. The Tigers hit 62.8 percent from the floor over the first 10 minutes (10-of-16), while the Griffons poured in 50 percent from the floor in the first quarter (8-of-16). Five of Missouri Western's first six field goals were 3-pointers, allowing the Griffons to lead by as many as four early on.
Katie DeGarmo got things going early and often, scoring eight points in the first four minutes. Those eight points allowed the graduate student to climb into second place on the FHSU all-time scoring list, passing Kate Lehman (1,917 points). DeGarmo finished the game with a season-high 23 points, giving her 1,933 points in 136 career games in a Tiger uniform.
The lead changed hands four times in the opening frame, with FHSU leading 23-22 after 10 minutes of action. The Tigers kept things rolling on offense in the second quarter while turning up the pressure on defense, opening the frame on a 13-3 run to build an 11-point lead, 36-25. The Griffons hit just 1-of-7 from the floor and turned the ball over six times over the first seven minutes of the frame before clicking back into gear heading into halftime. The home team closed the half on a 10-0 run, closing within 36-35 at the break.
DeGarmo was perfect from the floor in the first half, knocking down all eight of her attempts to total 17 points alongside seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.
An Ellie Stearns 3-pointer put the Tigers up four early in the second half before Missouri Western used a 10-2 run to take a four-point lead of its own, 47-43. The Griffons later led by as many as five three separate times, tied for FHSU's largest deficit of the season.
The Griffons went up by five for the final time with 7:18 remaining in the contest before Brooke Loewe responded with her second 3-pointer of the game. Olivia Hollenbeck then knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the score with six minutes on the clock. Missouri Western answered with a triple two possessions later, but Kate Dilsaver punched right back with a long-range make of her own to tie the score again at 62.Hollenbeck later tied the score again at 64 with a basket before handing FHSU a two-point lead with three minutes to go with two more free throws. The Tiger defense did all it could down the stretch to seal the win, forcing five-straight misses and a pair of turnovers over a four-minute stretch to cling to the lead.
The offense, however, struggled down the stretch, with FHSU combining to miss its final three shots from the floor and its final four free-throw attempts while turning the ball over twice in the final two minutes.
After two Tiger free-throw attempts rattled out with 15 seconds to go, the Griffons were able to regain the lead for the final time on a layup with less than four seconds to go.
DeGarmo finished the game with 10 rebounds alongside her game-high 23 points, giving her a second double-double of the season. Loewe contributed 10 points and a career-high 12 assists, giving the Tigers a pair of double-doubles in the same game for the first time since December 2023.Hollenbeck scored 10 points and added four rebounds, while Talexa Weeter scored 11 points and added one block off the bench.
Fort Hays State created 19 Griffon turnovers while the Tigers turned the ball over 16 times themselves. Both teams collected 36 rebounds. Missouri Western finished the game with 12 made 3-pointers.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will return home to play their next four games inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The homestand begins Tuesday when FHSU hosts Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 5:30 p.m.