FHSU Athletics
#8/#17 Fort Hays State (19-2, 10-2 MIAA) vs.
Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-8, 7-5 MIAA)
Saturday, February 8, 2025 • 2 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Game Sponsor: American Family Insurance - The Brian Ruder Agency
National Anthem: Scott County Encore Group
Promotions: Styles Dance performance at women's halftime, student-athlete academic recognition at men's halftime, FHSU 20-year donor recognition, FHSU Affiliation Day
The eighth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team faces off with conference-newcomer Arkansas-Fort Smith for the first time in program history Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
While this is the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and the Lions, this is not the first time FHSU has played another "Fort." Fort Hays State is 15-2 all-time against former RMAC rival Fort Lewis.
Winners of six in a row, Fort Hays State enters the contest 19-2 overall and 10-2 in MIAA action, while the Lions are 13-8 this season and 7-5 in conference contests. The Tigers need one win to reach the 20-win plateau for a 14th-straight season. FHSU has the longest active streak in Division II (Drury second with 11) and the sixth-longest streak in all NCAA women's basketball. The next-best stretch in the MIAA is just three seasons (MWSU, MSSU, PSU).
The Tigers rank in the top 10 in Division II in numerous statistical categories, including assist/turnover ratio (1.37, second), assists per game (18.9, third), field goal percentage (46.0, eighth), scoring margin (+18.6, ninth) and winning percentage (.905, tenth).Seventeen of FHSU's 19 wins have been double-figure victories, including 10 victories by 20 or more points, while both of the Tigers' losses have been by just one point.
Fort Hays State leads Division II in attendance this season, averaging 1,824 fans per home contest. That total would tie Florida for 94th in Division I and is more than 272 DI programs.
Brooke Loewe has distributed 145 assists this season, already tied for third-most in a single season in program history. At her current pace of 7.3 assists per game, the junior would break the school record of 166 assists with four games remaining in the regular season (Kristi Leeper-Meis, 1990-91).
After hitting 10-of-13 from the floor in Thursday's win over Northeastern State, forward Olivia Hollenbeck improved her field goal percentage to 63.1 percent. That shooting rate ranks second in the MIAA and is fifth-best in the country. The graduate student also leads the team in both blocks and steals, ranking second in the MIAA with 2.1 steals per night and ranking third in blocks with 1.7 rejections per contest.
Arkansas-Fort Smith is 13-8 overall and 7-5 in MIAA action after dropping its third-straight game Thursday at Nebraska-Kearney. The Lions are 4-5 in true road games this season and 6-6 overall away from home. UAFS ranks third in the league in scoring offense, averaging 75.1 points per contest, while ranking second-to-last in scoring defense, allowing 72.7 points per contest. The Lions hit 7.5 3-pointers per game, third-most in the conference. Anna Trusty leads the Lions with 13.7 points per night, ranking 13th in the MIAA. She also paces the team in rebounds, ranking 15th in the league with 6.3 boards per game.