
MARYVILLE, Mo. - The sixth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team won its fourth MIAA regular season title and became the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2012-13 with a 69-47 road win over Northwest Missouri State Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26). The Tigers put the hammer down in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bearcats 23-6 while hitting 75 percent from the floor to lock down the win and the 13th conference championship in program history.
It was a tale of two quarters in the first half, with the Tigers shooting better than 50 percent in the first before struggling in the second quarter. Northwest did the exact opposite, hitting only three baskets over the first 10 minutes before burying 50 percent from the floor in the second period. Fort Hays State took the lead for good with a 9-0 run at the end of the first quarter before leading 33-26 at the break following a late bucket from Jaden Hobbs.
Northwest kept things close in the third, outscoring the Tigers 15-13 to close within 46-41 by the end of the quarter. Olivia Hollenbeck and Cydney Bergmann ensured the Tiger victory with 10 points each in the final quarter. The defense did its job as well in the final stanza, limiting Northwest to just six points on 2-of-13 shooting while blocking two shots and making one steal.
Hollenbeck racked up a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds alongside four blocks and three assists. Bergmann added 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Hobbs scored 10 points and dished out eight assists. The senior now has 413 in her career at FHSU, tied for second-most in program history with Kristi Leeper-Meis (1987-91).
The Tigers finished the game shooting 48.2 percent from the floor (27-of-56) and 50 percent from behind the arc (4-of-8) while holding Northwest to just 30.6 percent shooting (15-of-49). Fort Hays State dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Bearcats 41-27. FHSU had 20 assists as a team, the ninth time the Tigers have had at least that many in a game this season.
Fort Hays State will be co-champions with Missouri Southern and will be the No. 2 seed in next week's MIAA Championship, presented by Citizens Bank & Trust. The Tigers will play the winner of Central Oklahoma and Emporia State on Thursday (March 3) at 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.