FHSU Athletics
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The #23/#22-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opened the 2024-25 season Friday with a wire-to-wire victory over Augustana, winning 78-62 in the first game of the 2024 Central Region Showcase.
The Tigers opened the game on an 11-2 run over the first four minutes of action, taking the lead and never looking back. FHSU forced five turnovers during that span while knocking down 5-of-8 from the floor to start the year.
The Vikings settled in after the first media timeout, closing within 15-11 by the end of the first quarter. Katie Wagner DeGarmo and Talexa Weeter each hit 3-pointers in the first minute of the second quarter, helping FHSU push the lead back to double figures, 21-11. Augustana battled back to close within four on three different occasions before the Tigers took a 30-24 lead into the locker room.
While DeGarmo's 11 points and nine points from Kate Dilsaver helped propel the Tigers in the first half, it was Olivia Hollenbeck that took control after the break. The fifth-year forward went off for 25 points in the second half, knocking down 10-of-13 from the floor, 5-of-5 from the free-throw line and adding five rebounds.
The Tigers stepped things up another gear on offense in the third quarter, knocking down 10-of-17 from the floor (58.8 percent) to total 31 points in the frame. Hollenbeck had 17 in the less than eight minutes of action in the stanza, burying 7-of-8 from the floor and a trio of free-throws to help FHSU push the lead to 17, 61-44.Augustana scored the first five points in the fourth quarter, closing within 12, before the Tigers pushed the lead back to 15 where it would stay for the rest of the afternoon.
Fort Hays State finished the game shooting 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from deep and 72 percent (18-of-25) from the free-throw line. The Tigers forced 22 Augustana turnovers, creating 15 points off turnovers.
The Tigers won the game in the paint, outscoring the Vikings 40-26. FHSU outrebounded its opponent by 13, 48-35, including 16 offensive rebounds that created 15 second-chance points.
Hollenbeck led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 12-of-16 from the floor alongside seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals. Dilsaver racked up 15 points on 6-of-8 from the floor, including both of her 3-point attempts. DeGarmo totaled 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Dilsaver and Brooke Loewe both distributed four assists, while Weeter collected a team-high eight rebounds alongside seven points.Olivia Hayenga led the Vikings with 19 points thanks in part to four 3-pointers.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will wrap up the weekend inside the St. Joseph Civic Arena Saturday afternoon when they take on MSU Moorhead beginning at 12:30 p.m.