By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team rallied from a 13-point first half deficit Saturday vs. No. 19 Nebraska-Kearney but the Tigers come up one point short, losing 53-52 to the Lopers at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers (13-6, 8-3 MIAA) had a chance to win the game on their last possession but a Katie Wagner free throw line jumper fell short helping the Lopers (16-3, 9-2 MIAA) escape with their third-straight road win in Hays.
For a third-straight game, Fort Hays State struggled out of the gate, scoring a season-low seven points in the first quarter on 3-of-11 shooting. Clary Donica knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter to spark the comeback. A 13-2 run closed the gap to two late in the quarter but the Lopers scored five of the final six points for a 32-26 halftime lead.
UNK opened the second half on a 12-6 run, building the lead back to 12 before the Tigers answered with an 18-2 run over the next 11 minutes to build a four-point lead. Sydney Golladay tied the game with a layup before Emma Ruddle gave the Tigers their first lead at 5:43 in the fourth quarter with a jumper.
The Lopers scored five-straight to regain a one-point lead with 2:15 to play. After a pair of empty possessions by both teams, Fort Hays State went back on top 52-51, with 32 seconds to go after a stick-back layup from Olivia Hollenbeck.
Sarah Schmitt answered with a driving layup on the other end with eight seconds to play, giving the Nebraska-Omaha transfer a game-high 18 points and putting the Lopers in front by one. After the Tigers called a timeout to advance the ball Wagner's pull-up jumper from the free-throw line rattled in and out to give the Lopers the victory.
It's the first time the Tigers lost back-to-back home games in the same season in 12 years.
FHSU finished the game shooting 35.1 percent from the floor (20-of-57), including 30.4 percent from inside the arc (14-of-46) and 54.5 percent from 3-point range (6-of-11). Both teams struggled from teh free throw line, FHSU went 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) and UNK knocked down just 4-of-12 (33.3 percent). The Lopers outrebounded the Tigers, 40-30.
The Tiger defense forced the Lopers into a season-high 17 turnovers, with FHSU scoring 15 points off those Loper miscues. The Tigers turned the ball over just 10 times on the day after racking up five turnovers in the first quarter.
Donica led the Tigers with 12 points, while Wagner added 11 points and six rebounds. Hollenbeck grabbed a team-high nine rebounds alongside eight points.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will hit the road next week to battle Washburn in Topeka, Kan. on Wednesday before traveling to Emporia, Kan. to take on the Hornets on Sunday.