HAYS - Thursday night the Fort Hays State women's basketball team used a big second quarter to take control and beat Nebraska-Kearney Thursday in Kearney, a strong third quarter propelled then to a 68-60 win in front of 1,065 Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.
The Lopers (12-2, 12-2 MIAA) had control early, using a 14-4 run to build a 22-12 lead with 7:46 to play in the second quarter. The Lopers shot 64-percent from the floor in the first quarter and 55-percent in the second quarter and led 34-30 at the half.
After Kearney scored the first basket of the third quarter to go up six FHSU (11-2, 11-2 MIAA) went on a 19-2 run to build a 49-38 lead. The Tigers tied the game then took the lead for good on back-to-back Jaden Hobbs 3-pointers.
Hobbs led the Tigers with 17 points on 4-of-17 shooting but hit four free throws down the stretch to hold UNK at bay after they closed within four with a little over a minute to play.
Whitney Randall added 16 points, Olivia Hollenbeck scored 11 while Cydney Bergmann and Katie Wagner both added 10.
After a cold shooting start (5-for-20 in the first quarter) but shot 55-percent the rest of the way.
The Tigers outrebounded the Lopers by one. UNK had only been outrebounded once all season prior to Thursday's meeting in Kearney.