No. 6/5 Fort Hays State (18-2, 12-2 MIAA) at
Central Oklahoma (13-9, 9-7 MIAA)
Saturday, February 5 • 1:30 p.m.
Edmond, Okla. • Hamilton Field House
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
LISTEN LIVE
The No. 6 Fort Hays State women's basketball team continues a stretch of three games in five days Saturday (Feb. 5) when the Tigers battle Central Oklahoma on the road. First tip from Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla. is set for 1:30 p.m.
The Tigers (18-2, 12-2 MIAA) have not lost away from home this season, going 8-0 in games played outside Gross Memorial Coliseum this year. FHSU is 6-0 in true road games and 2-0 in neutral site matchups.
Central Oklahoma (13-9, 9-7 MIAA) has played well at home this year, accumulating a record of 8-2 at home while going just 5-7 on the road so far this season.
Fort Hays State has played well in the state of Oklahoma under head coach Tony Hobson, going 17-5 in the Sooner State during the Hobson era. That includes wins in the last eight trips to Oklahoma, with the last loss coming nearly four years ago at UCO (72-70, 2/10/18).
The Tigers needed a big second half to come from behind and defeat Central Oklahoma earlier this season in Hays, 78-71 (12/17/21). The Tigers turned the ball over a season-high 21 times in that contest. In comparison, Fort Hays State has just 22 turnovers over the last three games combined. The Tigers are averaging just. 9.4 turnovers per game in the 11 games since that victory over the Bronchos in December.
Oklahoma native Jaden Hobbs has played well in her career against Central Oklahoma, averaging 15.0 points and 4.8 assists in five games while scoring in double figures in all five contests. The senior is currently fifth all-time at FHSU with 376 assists, two shy of tying for fourth and three back of third place.
Fellow Oklahoma native Whitney Randall recently climbed to 11th on the all-time scoring list at FHSU with 1,261 career points. She is 60 points shy of climbing into the top 10.
Katie Wagner leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, totaling an average of 15.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. The second-year freshman ranks in the top 10 in the MIAA in each category, sitting in eighth in scoring and fifth in rebounding.
The Tigers enter the weekend ranked in the top 10 in Division II in three statistical categories, including ranking first with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.51. The Tigers are second in turnovers per game (11.3 per game) and ninth in assists per game (17.1). Hobbs leads the country individually with an assist/turnover ratio of 4.26.
Fort Hays State is 15-5 all-time against the Bronchos, including wins in the last four contests. The Tigers are 5-4 against UCO in Edmond, including three-straight road wins over the Bronchos. FHSU is 14-4 against UCO under Hobson and 5-3 on the road.
Central Oklahoma ranks fourth in the league in scoring offense (73.5 ppg) while coming in with the third-worst scoring defense in the MIAA (69.5 ppg). UCO hits 27.2 percent from behind the arc, ranked 12th in the MIAA, while ranking second in free-throw percentage at 77.9 percent. The Bronchos force an average of 19.6 turnovers per game, the most in the league, while also leading the way with 10.9 steals per night. UCO is just behind FHSU in assists per game, ranking second in the MIAA by averaging 17.0 apg. Kelsey Johnson (21.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg) leads the MIAA in scoring and ranks third in rebounds per game.
FHSU Athletics