FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team secured its seventh-consecutive trip to the MIAA Championship semifinals with a 65-63 win over Central Missouri Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 MIAA Championship, presented by Southern Bank.
The Tigers (23-6) never trailed in the contest and hit 50 percent from the floor (22-of-44) while the Tiger defense forced 12 steals, blocked five shots and held the Jennies (21-8) to a season-low shooting percentage of 36.1 percent (22-of-61).Fort Hays State, seeded third in the tournament, took the lead on its first possession of the game when MIAA Player of the Year Katie Wagner dropped in a driving layup. UCM, the No. 6 seed, tied the score at 2-2 and again at 4-4 before the Tigers took the lead for good on a 3-pointer from Jessie Sallach.
Wagner scored the next six points for FHSU before Sallach buried another 3-pointer, giving the Callaway, Neb. native multiple 3-pointers for a second-consecutive game. Wagner followed with her ninth and 10th points of the game from the free-throw line, putting the Tigers up nine, 19-10, before FHSU led 21-13 at the end of the first period.
Two early second-quarter baskets from Olivia Hollenbeck helped the Tigers push the lead to 10 before UCM went on an 8-1 run to close within one possession, 26-23. Sallach helped FHSU bounce back with her third 3-pointer of the game, a new single game career-best for 3-pointers made.
Sallach's third triple kickstarted a 7-0 Tiger run that was anchored by a 3-pointer from Megan Earney that put the Tigers back up by 10, 33-23. The Jennies scored four of the final six points of the half to close within eight at halftime, 35-27.Central Missouri pulled within four early in the second half before an 8-0 Tiger run pushed the FHSU lead to a game-high 12 points midway through the third quarter, 45-33. Wagner opened the run with a jumper before Sydney Golladay scored her first points of the game with a step-back jumper. Hollenbeck followed with the next four points to put the Tigers up by 12.
The Jennies punched back by scoring the next eight points before a Katie Wagner basket pushed the lead back to seven. UCM scored the final bucket of the third quarter, closing within 48-43.
The teams traded baskets to start the fourth quarter, with FHSU hitting 4-of-6 over the first five minutes and UCM knocking down 3-of-5 from the floor. An Emma Ruddle 3-pointer from right in front of the Tiger bench stretched the lead back to seven with 6:10 on the clock, 56-49.The Tigers then hit four of their next five free throws to push the lead back to double figures with 3:06 remaining, 62-51. The FHSU defense forced three turnovers and two missed shots over a three-minute span, giving the offense an opportunity to score six-straight to pad the lead to 11.Central Missouri made one final push, outscoring the Tigers 12-3 over the final three minutes close within two.
Fort Hays State made one final defensive stand, forcing the Jennies to miss its final three shots over the final eight seconds with a chance to tie the score. Sallach blocked the first attempt out of bounds before UCM had two shots rattle out in the final three seconds.
After scoring 10 points in the first quarter, Wagner finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and her second-straight double-double in a postseason game. Wagner added five steals and four assists in the win. Hollenbeck totaled 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks, pulling within two blocks of second-most all-time at Fort Hays State.
Sallach scored 10 points off the bench on 3-of-3 shooting while adding three rebounds and one block. Ruddle totaled six points, all in the fourth quarter, and added two steals and one block on defense. Ellie Stearns and Brooke Loewe each distributed three assists.
Fort Hays State scored 16 points off 16 UCM turnovers while the Tigers outscored UCM off the bench, 16-9. The Tigers hit 41.7 percent from behind the arc (5-of-12).
UP NEXT
The Tigers will play in the semifinals for a seventh-consecutive season on Saturday (March 9) when FHSU battles No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State beginning at 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium. The winner of that contest will take on either No. 1 seed Missouri Western or fifth-seeded Pittsburg State in the MIAA Championship game Sunday (March 10) at 1 p.m.Fort Hays State has the longest active streak of semifinal appearances in the MIAA, while the Tigers have reached semifinal Saturday in 11 of the last 12 tournaments, four more than any other school during that span.