JOPLIN, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team outscored Missouri Southern 24-9 in the third quarter to take control and beat teh Lions 70-49 for their third straight win Thursday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
The Tigers (8-2, 8-2 MIAA) closed the second quarter on a 9-1 run to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room. It was part of a 21-5 run that saw their lead grow to 13 midway through the third and would lead by as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.
It's the sixth time this season the Tigers have won by 20 or more points, the most in the MIAA. No other school has more than four 20-plus point wins.
The lead changed hands five times in the first half alongside four ties. Fort Hays State struggled to find the bottom of the net early on, missing its first five shots. But after scoring the first points of the game, Missouri Southern managed just those two points over the first six minutes. The Tigers finally hit a field goal at the 6:08 mark on a layup from Cydney Bergmann, sparking a 7-0 run.
Missouri Southern (4-7, 4-7 MIAA) momentarily regained the lead late in the quarter before Jaden Hobbs scored five points in the final 21 seconds to give FHSU a 19-15 lead.
The Lions opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run to go back in front by three, 24-21. Missouri Southern held the Tigers without a field goal for over seven minutes in the second quarter, but the Lions were unable to stretch the lead past three. FHSU forced five turnovers over the stretch while hitting 6-of-6 from the line to keep things within reach.
Hobbs, Whitney Randall and Jessie Sallach all buried a pair of free throws to help the Tigers tie things up at 25 before a 3-pointer from Madison Mittie swung the momentum of the game. The senior's bucket at the 2:30 mark, FHSU's first basket of the second quarter, pushed the Tigers in front for good.
Fort Hays State held MSSU (4-7, 4-7 MIAA) to just 2-of-10 shooting and forced four turnovers while hitting six field goals and 10-of-12 from the charity stripe in the decisive third quarter.
Fort Hays State outscored the Lions 26-7 at the free throw line, hitting 81.3 percent from the stripe (26-of-32) while MSSU hit just 43.8 percent (7-of-16).
The Tigers hit 6-of-13 from behind the arc (46.2 percent) while holding the Lions to just 20 percent from deep (4-of-20). FHSU had a big advantage in rebounds, 47-38.
The Tiger defense forced 16 turnovers thanks to nine steals while blocking four shots.
Hobbs led the Tigers with 16 points after hitting two 3-pointers and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The senior added a team-high seven assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Bergmann had 13 points thanks to a 7-for-8 day from the charity stripe.
Randall totaled 11 points and seven rebounds while hitting all six of her free throws. Katie Wagner led the team with nine rebounds alongside seven points.
Sallach scored nine points while Mittie totaled seven points, three rebounds, one steal and one block.
The Tigers continue their road trip Saturday (Jan. 23) when they head to Pittsburg, Kan. to battle the Gorillas of Pittsburg State. First tip is set for 1:30 p.m.