FHSU Athletics
#6 Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (14-1, 5-1 MIAA)
at Missouri Western (5-10, 1-5 MIAA)
Thursday, January 15, 2026 • 5:30 p.m.
St. Joseph, Mo. • MWSU Fieldhouse
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Sixth-ranked women's basketball will take on Missouri Western for a second time in 12 days on Thursday, with the opening tip set for 5:30 p.m. inside MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.
Quick Hits
- FHSU and Emporia State are tied with 425 wins since the Tigers joined the MIAA in 2006, a span of 20 seasons.
- The Tigers have earned five MIAA Athlete of the Week honors this season, with all other teams combining for three.
- Brooke Loewe broke her own school record with 17 assists against Nebraska-Kearney last Tuesday, the most assists in a game by any NCAA women's basketball athlete across all divisions this season.
- Loewe averages 11.1 assists per game. She is the only NCAA athlete, male or female, currently averaging in double figures in assists.
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 28.6 points per game. For context, the MIAA record for single season scoring average is 25.4 ppg (MSSU's Melissa Grider, 95-96).
- Weeter's 45 points against Northwest Missouri State are tied for the most in a game by a DII athlete this season.
- Fort Hays State has hit 50 percent or better from the floor in more than half of its games this season (8 of 15).
- Fort Hays State leads Division II with an average of 21.4 assists per game and an assist/turnover ratio of 1.37 and while the Tigers are fourth in field goal percentage (48.7 percent).
- Missouri Western is 4-2 against FHSU during the Talia Kahrs era, making them one of two schools with a winning record over the third-year head coach (Southwest Minnesota State 1-0).
- Fort Hays State's last game on January 15 was also a road game at Missouri Western in 2022. The second-ranked Tigers defeated the 22nd-ranked Griffons 74-61 in that meeting four years ago.
MIAA Athlete of the Week x 5
- Fort Hays State has earned five MIAA Athlete of the Week honors this season, including four for Talexa Weeter and one for Brooke Loewe. The entire rest of the league has a combined three such awards this season.
- Weeter averaged 32.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor in the first two games of the season.
- The Goodland, Kan. native then averaged 33.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in the two wins in Denver before Thanksgiving.
- Weeter totaled 32 points and 13 rebounds in a blowout win over No. 6 Pittsburg State.
- She erupted for an average of 37 points and 12 rebounds with a pair of double-doubles against Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western, including a career-high 45 points against the Bearcats that is one off the program record and is tied for the most points scored by a DII athlete this season.
- Loewe earned the award on January 13 after breaking the school record with 17 assists at Nebraska-Kearney and following that up with 15 assists against Northwest Missouri State. Both totals are more than any other DII athlete this season, while her 17 assists are the most across all NCAA divisions this season and are the most by a DII athlete since 2023. She averaged a double-double for the week with 10.0 points and 16.0 assists.
20 Wins Now the Norm
- Fort Hays State has now reached the 20-win plateau in each of the last 14 seasons, extending the longest active streak of 20-win seasons in Division II. FHSU's streak is tied for the sixth-longest active streak of 20-win seasons across all NCAA Divisions.
- FHSU reached the 20-win plateau just eight times over the first 42 years of the program before the current streak began in 2011-12, including no more than two consecutive 20-win campaigns during that time.
- The next-best active streak of 20-win seasons in the MIAA is four (MWSU), while the next-best streak in DII is Drury with 12.
- Only five DI programs have longer active stretches of 20-win seasons, including UConn (32), Baylor (25), Stanford (23), Florida Gulf Coast (21) and Louisville (15). Fort Hays State's run of 14-straight 20-win seasons is tied with South Carolina and South Dakota State for sixth-best in all NCAA women's basketball.
National Rankings
- FHSU leads in the country with 21.4 assists per game and assist/turnover ratio (1.37) while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (48.7 percent), eighth in winning percentage (93.3 percent), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (31.1), ninth in scoring offense (80.5 ppg), 10th in fewest fouls (13.4 per game), 17th in 3-point percentage (35.7 percent) and 18th in scoring margin (+16.6).
- Brooke Loewe's 11.1 assists per game are the most across all NCAA divisions. In fact, she is the only NCAA student-athlete, male or female, currently averaging in double figures in assists.
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and ranks third across all NCAA divisions with an average of 28.6 points per game.
- Loewe's 17 assists against Nebraska-Kearney are the most in a game across all NCAA divisions of women's basketball this season and second-most across all divisions including men's basketball (Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Quion Williams had 18 assists vs. Champion Christian).
- Loewe has recorded 14 or more assists five times this season. Only one other DII athlete has done so once (Brielle Minor, Cal Poly Pomona).
- Weeter's 45 points against Northwest Missouri State are tied for the most by a DII athlete this season.
- Ellie Stearns ranks fourth in the conference with 2.1 3-pointers made per game.
- Olivia Mortensen ranks third in the MIAA with a field goal percentage of 53.4 percent.
- Weeter ranks second in the MIAA in rebounds (9.1 per game) and second in the MIAA in field goal percentage (54.2 percent).
- Loewe is tied for first in the conference with an average of 2.4 steals per game.
Fresh Start
- Olivia Mortensen is the 14th true freshman to start a season opener for the Tigers during the DII era (since 1991-92) and the first since Ellie Stearns in 2022.
Last Time Out
- The No. 6 Tigers rallied from a 10-point deficit midway through the third quarter to defeat Nebraska-Kearney by double figures on the road on Tuesday (Jan. 7), winning 84-73.
- Brooke Loewe distributed 17 assists in the win, breaking her own school record. That total is the most in a single game by any NCAA women's basketball student-athlete across all divisions.
- Talexa Weeter totaled 30 points, while Olivia Mortensen racked up 20 points thanks to four 3-pointers.
- FHSU hit 50.9 percent from the floor, including hitting 15 of its final 19 shots.
Scouting the Griffons
- The Griffons are 5-10 this season and 1-3 in conference play.
- MWSU is 3-2 at home this season compared to a 2-8 record away from home.
- The Griffons had won two in a row heading into the holiday break, beating a pair of DII opponents in Lincoln and McKendree.
- MWSU leads the conference and ranks 14th in Division II with an average of 8.3 3-pointers per game.
- The Griffons rank last in the MIAA in opposing scoring average (70.6 ppg) and turnovers per game 17.8 (tpg).
Series History with Missouri Western
- Fort Hays State is 36-29 all-time against Missouri Western.
- The Griffons are 18-11 at home against the Tigers, including wins in each of the last two meetings in St. Joseph, Mo.
- FHSU holds a two game winning streak in the series overall. However, the Griffons had won five in a row in the regular season before the Tigers picked up their largest margin of victory in series history just 12 days ago.
- The Tigers are 2-4 against MWSU under head coach Talia Kahrs, making the Griffons one of two teams to hold a winning record against the third-year head coach (Southwest Minnesota State - 1-0).
- FHSU is 18-14 against the Griffons in MIAA regular season contests.
- The teams are tied 2-2 in overtime contests.
Last Meeting with the Griffons
- The No. 6 Tigers used a big second half to defeat Missouri Western by 31 points on Saturday (Jan. 3), 87-56.
- It was FHSU's largest margin of victory in series history against the Griffons.
- Brooke Loewe dished out 14 assists in the win.
- The Tigers led by just five at halftime but outscored the Griffons 51-25 in the second half.
- Talexa Weeter led all scorers with 29 points alongside 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks
Career Stats vs. MWSU
- Talexa Weeter - 17.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.5 apg in 4 games - 3 games in double figures, including 2 game with 20-plus points
- Olivia Mortensen - 14 ppg, 2 rpg, 0 apg in 1 game
- Mikayla Pilley - 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg in 1 game
- Brittan Zeka - 8 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 apg in 1 game
- Brooke Loewe - 4.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 5.2 apg in 9 games - 2 games with 10-plus assists, 1 double-double
- Ellie Stearns - 3.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.8 apg in 9 games - 1 game in double figures
- Kaitlin Schumann - 2 ppg, 7 rpg in 1 game
Class of the Conference
Since joining the MIAA in 2006-07 (20 seasons), the Tigers are tied with Emporia State in overall wins with 425.
Roster Report
- Fort Hays State's roster includes seven returners and six newcomers, including five freshmen and one transfer.
- This year's squad includes players from seven different states, including five from Kansas, three from Colorado and one each from Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina and Texas.
- There are three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen on the squad this year.
- The Tigers return two All-MIAA honorable mention selections in Brooke Loewe and Talexa Weeter.
Road Warriors
- Fort Hays State played its first home game of the season on December 13 after starting the season with eight straight away from home.
- It was the latest home opener for the team on record (since at least 1973). The previous latest date for the Tigers to play their first home game is December 10, 1975 when FHSU lost to Northwestern Oklahoma State, 75-45.
Nationally Recognized
- The Tigers are ranked sixth in this week's WBCA Coaches Poll.
- FHSU has been ranked as high as No. 3 this year.
- Fort Hays State opened the year ranked ninth national coaches poll.
- This is the seventh time the Tigers have been ranked in the preseason. FHSU also opened the 2024-25 ranked 23rd, the 2022-23 season ranked third, the 2021-22 season ranked fourth, the 2019-20 season ranked seventh, the 2018-19 season ranked 12th and the 2015-16 season ranked 10th.
- Fort Hays State has been ranked inside the top 25 in 122 different weekly releases from the WBCA.
- This is the eighth-straight season the Tigers have been ranked at some point and the 13th-such season all-time.
- Including the 2017-18 season (multiple weeks receiving votes), the Tigers have been mentioned in the polls at least once in each of the last 13 seasons.
18 and Over
The Tigers have finished a season with at least 18 MIAA wins five times since joining the league in 2006-07, more than any other school during that span (UCM 4, MWSU 3, UNK 2, MSSU 1, NWMSU 1, PSU 1, WU 1).
Double-Digit Winning Streaks
- Fort Hays State had a pair of 12-game winning streaks last season, the third time in team history that the Tigers have had multiple double-digit winning streaks in a season.
- FHSU won 14 in a row early in the 1990-91 season before winning 20 straight to finish the year and claim the 1991 NAIA Championship.
- The Tigers then won 15 in a row to begin the 2018-19 season and added a 17-game winning streak later in the season.
- The Tigers have now recorded 16 double-digit winning streaks in team history. The 12-game streaks last season were tied for the sixth-longest winning streaks in team history.
Making it a Habit
After reaching the NCAA Tournament once in its first 23 years in the Association, Fort Hays State has now been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship nine times over the last 11 seasons.
The Big 3-0
Fort Hays State reached the 30-win plateau for the fourth time in program history in 2021-22. FHSU has three 30-win seasons since 2014-15, while the rest of the MIAA has two 30-win campaign combined during that span (UCM 2017-18, PSU 2024-25).
Trophy SZN
The Tigers won their fourth regular season MIAA championship and their second MIAA postseason tournament championship in 2021-22. FHSU now has 11 regular season conference titles all-time and three conference tournament titles. No school has won more MIAA regular season titles since FHSU joined the league in 2006-07 (FHSU 4, WU 4, UCM 3, MWSU 3, ESU 2, PSU 2, NWMSU 1, MSSU 1, UNK 1).
Century Mark
FHSU has 25 100-point outings in its illustrious history, most recently a 100-59 win over Rogers State (2/20/20), which was the first time FHSU scored 100 points against a Division II opponent since 2013 (114-86 vs Newman, 1/26/13).
Home Sweet Home
The Tigers led Division II with an average attendance of 2,084 per home contest last season. That total would rank 84th in DI and was more than 282 DI programs.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers wrap up a four-game road swing Saturday, January 17 at Northwest Missouri State beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Maryville, Mo. before playing seven of their final 11 regular season games at home.