FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (19-10, 14-7 MIAA)
at No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney (26-3, 19-2 MIAA)
Saturday, February 25, 2023 • 2 p.m.
Kearney, Neb. • Health & Sports Center
Radio • KJLS (103.3)
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The Fort Hays State women's basketball team wraps up the regular season Saturday on the road against seventh-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, with the opening tip set for 2 p.m. inside the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Neb.
The Tigers (19-10, 14-7 MIAA) and Lopers (26-3, 19-2 MIAA) are two of six MIAA programs ranked inside the top 10 in the latest NCAA Division II Central Region rankings.
Live video of the conference clash will be available on The MIAA Network. Fans can purchase access to a single contest for $10, a month-long pass for $25 or a season-long, all-access pass for $125. Both the monthly and year-long passes gain access to any event in any sport streamed on The MIAA Network.
Live radio coverage with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock will be available over the air on KJLS 103.3 FM and online at hayspost.com.
With one game remaining on the conference schedule for all 14 MIAA teams, the Tigers currently sit in sixth in the league standings. Pending results from Saturday, the Tigers can finish as high as fifth.
Either way, Fort Hays State will open postseason competition next Friday (March 3) in the quarterfinals of the 2023 MIAA Championship Tournament, presented by Southern Bank. The Tigers will play in the evening session (6:00 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.), with official seedings and brackets set to be announced after the conclusion of the regular season Saturday.
Maintaining possession will be a key factor to the game on Saturday, with the Lopers (11.5 TO/g) and Tigers (11.9 TO/g) ranking first and second, respectively, in the MIAA and second and fourth nationally in turnovers per game.
After Katie Wagner became the 24th Tiger to score 1,000 points earlier this season, Olivia Hollenbeck is 35 points away from becoming the 25th-such player in program history.
The Tigers have played Nebraska-Kearney more than any other school in program history, with Saturday's meeting serving as the 102nd all-time between the geographical rivals. The Tigers are 60-41 all-time against UNK, including a 24-24 record in games played in Kearney. FHSU is 21-7 against the Lopers under head coach Tony Hobson, including an 11-1 mark in road contests. The Lopers clipped the Tigers by one point last month in Hays, 53-52 (1/14/23).
The Lopers have clinched at least a share of the 2022-23 MIAA regular season title and would win the trophy outright with a win on Saturday. UNK ranks first in the latest Central Region rankings. The Lopers rank fourth in the country in scoring defense (51.9 ppg allowed). Three Lopers average in double figures in the points column, including Shiloh McCool (12.4 ppg), Elisa Backes (10.9 ppg) and Sarah Schmitt (10.3 ppg).