No. 1/2 Fort Hays State (5-0, 0-0 MIAA) at
Washburn (1-4, 0-0 MIAA)
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 • 5:30 p.m.
Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
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The top-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens its 22-game MIAA slate Wednesday evening (Dec. 1) when the Tigers take on Washburn University on the road in Topeka, Kan. Opening tip between the Tigers and Ichabods is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Tickets to the game must be purchased in advance - no tickets will be available for purchase at the gate. Visit the following link to buy your tickets before arriving at Lee Arena.
Fans can also watch the game via The MIAA Network - purchase options include a single game for $10, a monthly subscription for $25 or an annual pass for $125. Monthly and annual subscriptions provide access to all content on The MIAA Network produced by all 14 member schools and the conference office.
Looking to defend their MIAA regular season conference championship, the Tigers (5-0) head into conference play after a solid start to the year, while the Ichabods (1-4) struggled in their early non-conference slate. This is the second year in a row that the Tigers and Ichabods have opened league action against one another, and coincidentally it is the second year in a row that the game will be played on December 1. Last year's contest was the season opener for FHSU after multiple postponements, making it the latest season opener for a Tiger team since 1973. FHSU won that game, 75-69, after scoring the final 10 points.
Last year's win was the fifth-straight Tiger victory in the series. FHSU has also won 10 of the last 11 dating back to the start of the 2014-15 season. Overall, Washburn leads the all-time series by 10, 47-37, including a 25-17 edge in games played in Topeka. The Tigers are 12-12 against the Ichabods under head coach Tony Hobson, including a 3-7 mark in games played in Topeka.
Whitney Randall scores an average of 8.5 points in six games against the Ichabods, including an average of 21 points in the last two meetings. Cydney Bergmann has 5.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg in two matchups with the Ichabods, while Jaden Hobbs averages 8.0 ppg and 3.0 apg in two games against WU. Katie Wagner scored 17 points and added eight rebounds against Washburn last year in a game that was her first collegiate appearance.
Wagner is off to a stellar start this season, with the second-year freshman ranking 11th nationally and first in the MIAA in rebounding (12.6 rpg) and 24th nationally and second in the league in scoring (20.4 ppg). The Maize, Kan. native has tallied double-doubles in three of the five games this year, 16th-most in the country.
Olivia Hollenbeck is among the nation's best in field-goal percentage, leading the conference and ranking 13th in Division II with a shooting percentage of 64.3 percent.
The Tigers are 9-6 in MIAA openers (9-4 under Hobson) and 6-9 in their first road MIAA game of a season (6-7 under Hobson) since joining the conference in the 2006.
Both the men's and women's basketball teams are still undefeated, making FHSU the last MIAA school without a loss on the hardcourt this season and one of just 10-such schools in Division II.