HAYS - The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women weathered a 16-0 Emporia State third quarter run but closed the game on a 15-6 run and beat the Hornets 77-72 in the MIAA Tournament semifinals in front of 1,250 Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.
The Tigers (22-2) built an eight point lead early in the third quarter on an Olivia Hollenbeck three-point play but would go scoreless over the next five minutes and fall behind 44-36 with five minutes to play. Following two timeouts, the Tigers regrouped and closed the quarter on a 16-8 run to tie the game 52-52 after three quarters on a Lauryn Reither three.
Jaden Hobbs hit three of her four 3-pointers in the final three and-a-half minutes of the third quarter to fuel the comeback.
The Hornets (17-8) led by four with five minutes to play in the fourth but Reither and Emma Ruddle both hit a pair of free throws to tie the game then Whitney Randall hit a fast break layup to put FHSU ahead for good with 3:48 to play.
Hobbs played all 40 minutes and led the Tigers with 18 points and eight assists. Madison Mittie and Katie Wagner both scored 13 and Hollenbeck 12.
Hobbs and Mittie both hit four of the Tigers 11 threes.
FHSU shot 40-percent (25-63) from the floor including 11-26 from beyond the arc. The Hornets shot 42-percent (26-62) and after going 4-of-17 from beyond the arc in the first half, hit 8-of-13 in the second half.
The Hornets went 8-for-8 from the free throw line while the Tigers knocked in 16 of their 19 foul shots.
The top-seeded Tigers advance to the MIAA Tournament finals for the fourth time in six years. They will play Nebraska-Kearney at 2:00 pm Sunday at Gross Coliseum. The third-seeded Lopers defeated Washburn 59-40 in Saturday's second semifinal to advance to their MIAA Tournament title game.