Jan 15, 2022

🏀📻 LISTEN - No. 2 Tiger women back on the road to battle No. 22 Griffons

Posted Jan 15, 2022 4:00 PM
FHSU's Jessie Sallach (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Seth Kincaid)
FHSU's Jessie Sallach (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Seth Kincaid)

No. 2/5 Fort Hays State (14-1, 8-1 MIAA) at
No. 22/RV Missouri Western (12-2, 6-2 MIAA)

Saturday, January 15, 2022 • 1:30 p.m.
St. Joseph, Mo. • MWSU Fieldhouse at Looney Complex
Women's game only - men's game postponed
Radio:
KJLS (103.3-FM)

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The second-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team faces off with a ranked opponent for a second time this season Saturday (Jan. 15) when the Tigers battle No. 22 Missouri Western. First tip is slated for 1:30 p.m. inside the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.

There will only be a women's game on Saturday - the men's contest was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the MWSU program. A make-up date for that contest is to be determined.

After opening the season with seven-straight wins, the Tigers (14-1, 8-1 MIAA) enter Saturday on another seven-game winning streak. Missouri Western (12-2, 6-2 MIAA) had won three games in a row before falling on Thursday to No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney.

This is Fort Hays State's second trip to St. Joseph this season. The Tigers opened the year inside the MWSU Fieldhouse with wins over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Sioux Falls. The Tigers are 10-6 when playing in St. Joseph under head coach Tony Hobson, while Katie Wagner is averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in three career games in St. Joe. The Tigers clinched the 2021 MIAA regular season title with a win in their last road game against the Griffons (77-69, 2/25/21).

Fort Hays State raised its assist/turnover ratio to 1.52 after another win over Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday. The Tigers lead Division II and rank second out of 1,080 teams listed in the NCAA statistical rankings across all three divisions. FHSU is third in DII in assists per game (18.1) and sixth in turnovers per game (11.9).

Whitney Randall performed well against the Griffons last season, scoring 52 points in two meetings. The senior tallied 23 points in the game in Hays before erupting for a career-high 29 points in St. Joseph.

The Tigers are 0-1 against ranked teams so far this season. FHSU is 24-44 against ranked teams under Hobson and 13-15 against ranked opponents while FHSU is also ranked.

The Tigers are 30-23 all-time against the Griffons, including wins in each of the last two meetings and in five of the last six contests. FHSU has won nine of the last 12 meetings, with all three losses during that span coming in St. Joseph. The home team has dominated the series, with the Tigers leading 20-5 in Hays and the Griffons leading 16-9 in St. Joseph. The Tigers are 14-6 against the Griffons under Hobson, including a 4-6 mark on the road.

Jaden Hobbs now has 355 assists in her career at Fort Hays State, two shy of tying Roberta Augustine (1979-83) for fifth-most at FHSU.

The No. 22 Griffons are 10-1 at home this season after suffering their first home loss on Thursday against UNK. The Griffons are seventh nationally while leading the conference with a scoring margin of +20.6. MWSU has the 19th-highest scoring offense in Division II, averaging 77.9 points per night to lead the MIAA. The Griffons rank 21st in DII with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.14. Connie Clarke nearly averages a double-double while leading the team with 13.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.  

FHSU Athletics