FHSU Athletics
#10 Fort Hays State (11-2, 5-2 MIAA)
vs. Lincoln (5-7, 1-5 MIAA)
Saturday, January 6 • 2 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Game Sponsor: Redeem Designs
Promotions: Retro Day - Retro t-shirt giveaway (first 250 fans) and retro concession prices ($1 popcorn and soft drinks)
The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team wraps up the weekend homestand Saturday afternoon when the Lincoln Blue Tigers make their final trip to Hays as members of the MIAA. Both the black and gold Tigers (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) and the Blue Tigers (5-7, 1-5 MIAA) will look to bounce back after losses on Thursday.
Fort Hays State is 19-1 all-time against the Blue Tigers, including a 10-1 advantage in games played in Hays. The Tigers have won 16 in a row, with the lone Lincoln win coming nearly 12 years ago (76-75 in OT, 1/21/12). The Tigers never trailed in a 20-point win over the Blue Tigers last season in Hays, 77-57 (2/9/23). Olivia Hollenbeck led all scorers with 19 points, while Katie Wagner totaled 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Wagner nearly averages a double-double when playing Lincoln, putting up 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night in five career matchups. She has three double-doubles against the Blue Tigers. She now has 1,393 career points, three shy of tying former teammate Whitney Randall (1,396 points) for ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU.
Hollenbeck and Ruddle have both scored in double figures four times in five career matchups against Lincoln. Hollenbeck averages 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds against LU, while Ruddle puts up 10.6 points per game. Sydney Golladay dishes out just under five assists per game when playing Lincoln.
The Tiger defense continues to lead the MIAA and now ranks eighth in Division II after allowing just 52.9 points per game so far this season.
Fort Hays State leads all Division II in total attendance, with 8,435 attendees through five games, while ranking second in average attendance at 1,687 fans per game.
The Blue Tigers have dropped five of their last six games after opening the season 4-2. LU ranks last in the MIAA in rebound margin (-6.2) and in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent). Ashlyn Alloway leads the team with 16.2 points per game, sixth-best in the conference. She is third in the league and 27th nationally with a field goal percentage of 55.6 percent.