No. 6/5 Fort Hays State (17-2, 11-2 MIAA) at
Newman (2-19, 0-15 MIAA)
Thursday, February 3 • 5:30 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. • Fugate Gymnasium
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
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The No. 6 Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens a stretch of three road games in five days Thursday (Feb. 3) when the Tigers face off with the Newman Jets. First tip in Wichita, Kan. is set for 5:30 p.m.
The Tigers (17-2, 11-2 MIAA) have been successful on the road of late, winning 15 of 17 road games since the start of last season and all five matchups away from the Coliseum so far this year. Fort Hays State is coming off a huge road win over then-No. 17 Nebraska-Kearney, 76-63, a win that helped the Tigers regain control of first place in the MIAA standings. They will need to continue that road success if they want to hang on to the top spot in the league, with six of the final nine games of the regular season played away from home. Overall, the Tigers are 84-65 in true road games under head coach Tony Hobson.
Fort Hays State made quick work of Newman (2-19, 0-15 MIAA) earlier this season in Hays, doubling-up the Jets in a 90-44 blowout (12/19/21). Olivia Hollenbeck did not miss a shot in the game, going 8-for-8 from the floor and hitting all five of her attempts from the free-throw line to lead the team with 21 points.
Jaden Hobbs averages a team-high 12.6 points and 5.6 assists per game in five career games against Newman, including a career-best 29 points after burying seven 3-pointers two years ago in Wichita (2/29/20).
Kate Dilsaver led the Tigers in scoring in Saturday's rivalry win over UNK with 14 points. She was the sixth different Tiger to lead the team in points in a game this season. Katie Wagner has been the most frequent high-scorer, doing so nine times. Whitney Randall and Hobbs have both done so three times, while Hollenbeck has done so twice and Lauren West once.
After turning the ball over a season-low six times against the Lopers, Fort Hays State improved its assist-turnover ratio to 1.47, still second-best in the country. Hobbs tops all DII players with a ratio of 4.39.
Hobbs and Randall are both approaching some serious milestones in their FHSU career. With 374 assists as a Tiger, Hobbs needs just four to tie Beth Bohuslavsky (378, 2012-16) for 4th all-time and five more to tie tie Mardy Robinson (379, 1994-98). Randall recently passed Tatyana Legette to move into 12th on the all-time scoring list. Currently sitting at 1,259 points in her career, the senior needs just two points to tie Kris Osthoff (1,261, 1991-95) for 11th-place all-time. She is 62 points away from moving into the top 10.
Now sixth in the WBCA DII Coaches Poll, Fort Hays State has occupied each of the top seven spots at some point during the season. The Tigers had their longest stay of the year at the No. 1 spot, when FHSU was ranked first for three-consecutive polls in November and December.
Already the all-time leader in wins as a coach at Fort Hays State, a victory Thursday would be coach Hobson's 300th victory as a Tiger. He is fifth all-time amongst MIAA head coaches and needs just seven wins to move into fourth.
Fort Hays State is 21-1 all-time against Newman, including wins in each of the last 11 meetings. The Tigers are 7-1 on the road against the Jets. FHSU is 12-1 against Newman under Hobson, including a 4-1 record on the road.
The Jets have lost 15 straight and are 2-8 at home this season. Newman ranks last in the conference with an average of 52.9 points per game while ranking ninth by allowing 65.7 points per game. Tiffany Dortland ranks sixth in the league with an average of 1.6 steals per night and 12th in the MIAA with an average of 2.6 assists per game.
FHSU Athletics