FHSU Athletics
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A strong effort on the offensive end and suffocating defense on the other end of the floor helped the third-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team defeat Sioux Falls Saturday afternoon on the final day of the Courtyard Sioux Falls Tip-Off Classic, 66-50. The Tigers (2-2) had four players score in double figures and hit 50 percent from the floor (28-of-56) while limiting the Cougars (0-2) to 36 percent shooting (18-of-50) and forcing 17 USF turnovers.
Coming back from an injury in the preseason, Olivia Hollenbeck scored a combined 15 points over the first three games before going off for 21 points in Saturday's victory. The forward hit 8-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe, using several strong post moves to create easy layups in the paint.
Katie Wagner shook off an off day Friday (four points, six rebounds) to record her third double-double of the season. The Maize, Kan. guard tallied 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting while leading the game with 11 rebounds.
Sioux Falls scored the first six points of the contest, holding the Tigers without a point for more than three minutes. But Fort Hays State quickly recovered, scoring six in a row to tie things up before a Brooke Loewe jumper put the Tigers in front for good with more than four minutes to play in the first quarter. FHSU led by as many as six late in the period before a Cougar triple at the buzzer made the score 16-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Fort Hays State started to pull away early in the second quarter, stretching the lead to 12 thanks to an 11-2 run. The Tigers hit 4-of-5 from the floor during the rally while limiting the Cougars to 1-of-6 shooting. But USF fought back, hitting six of their next eight shots to pull within four late in the half. An Emma Ruddle baseline jumper in the waning seconds of the first half helped the Tigers take a six-point lead into the locker room, 35-29.
The teams traded buckets over the first five minutes of the second half, with USF closing within four before another big Tiger run pushed the lead back to double figures for the duration of the game. Leading 40-36 at the midway point of the third, Wagner hit back-to-back buckets to double the lead. Loewe dropped in a floating jumper on the next possession before Kate Dilsaver drilled a triple from the left wing to push the lead to 13, prompting a Cougar timeout. The Tigers then scored the final seven points of the quarter, leading by as many as 18 following a Ruddle 3-pointer with less than 20 seconds remaining in the frame.
Sioux Falls scored the first eight points in the final frame to close within 10, but Hollenbeck broke up the run with a layup with 5:25 to go in the game. 3-pointers from Whitney Brown and Sydney Golladay down the stretch helped the Tigers fend off the Cougar run and secure the win.
Loewe and Brown both scored 10 points, with Loewe dishing out a team-high six assists while leading the team with three steals. Brecli Honner led the Cougars with 15 points and seven rebounds.
The Tigers dominated on the boards, outrebounding USF 35-25. Fort Hays State also had significant advantages in points in the paint, 38-18, points off turnovers, 19-13, points in transition, 14-0, and points off the bench, 39-16.
UP NEXT
After opening the year with four games on the road, Fort Hays State will head back to Gross Memorial Coliseum for a five-game home stand. The Tigers will make their home debut next weekend (Nov. 18-19) against No. 15 Minnesota State on Friday (6 p.m.) and Colorado Mesa on Saturday (3 p.m.).