FHSU Athletics
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball came from behind to defeat Drury 68-66 on day one of the GLVC/MIAA Crossover Friday, outscoring the home team by 12 in the final period to move to 2-0 on the year. The Tigers trailed by as many as 11 but hit 4-of-9 from behind the arc and totaled 12 second-chance points after halftime to hand the Panthers (0-1) their first loss of the season.
The lead changed hands twice early before the home team started to pull away, using a 10-4 run to build a 17-10 lead. Kailyn Hanni scored the final basket of the quarter following a steal, helping the Tigers pull within five.
After Drury pushed its lead to 21-12 early in the second, Fort Hays State worked back with a 9-2 run thanks to baskets from Olivia Mortensen, Hanni, Avery Lowe and Kenlee Durrill. But after hitting 5-of-6 from the floor during the run, the Tigers missed their last four shots and turned the ball over five times to finish the half, allowing Drury to pull in front by 11 at the break, 35-24.
Mortensen opened the second half with a pair of layups in the first minute, but the Panthers answered back to maintain an 11-point lead as late as five minutes into the frame. A Lowe 3-pointer helped the Tigers make it a two-possession game two minutes later, 46-40, but the home team seemingly had an answer every time to push the lead back to double figures.
The teams continued to trade baskets early in the fourth quarter before the Tigers finally broke through, scoring eight in a row in just one minute of action to tie the score at 58. Mikayla Pilley got things going with a second-chance bucket before Arika Feldman drilled a 3-pointer to make it a 3-point game. Hanni followed with a traditional 3-point play following a steal to knot things up at 58.
Feldman later gave the Tigers their first lead since the first two minutes of the game with another second-chance bucket, putting FHSU in front 62-60 with 4:11 to play. Drury scored the next four, but another Lowe 3-pointer from the top of the key off Pilley's assist moved Fort Hays State ahead with 141 seconds to go. The Tiger defense clamped down from there, forcing six-straight misses from the Panthers down the stretch. A huge offensive rebound from Mortensen allowed Hanni to add a late free-throw, giving the Tigers the two-point final margin.
Hanni scored 20 points to lead the team, with the freshman converting 7-of-9 free throws while adding six rebound and a team-high five assists. Mortensen recorded her fourth career double-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Pilley matched her career high with 12 points while adding five rebounds and three assists.
The Tigers will wrap up the weekend Saturday when they take on Southwest Baptist beginning at 5:45 p.m. on day two of GLVC/MIAA Crossover.