#10 (No. 1 seed) Fort Hays State (22-3, 20-2 MIAA) at
#20 (No. 4 seed) Central Missouri (20-4, 19-3 MIAA)
2021 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship
Central Region Semifinals
Saturday, March 13 • 5 p.m.
Warrensburg, Mo. • UCM Multipurpose Building
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
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The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens its quest for a national championship Saturday evening (March 13) in the central region semifinals of the 2021 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship. The Tigers will meet up with the regional hosts in the semis, No. 20 Central Missouri, beginning at 5 p.m. inside the UCM Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg, Mo.
Fort Hays State earned the top overall seed in the tournament and received a bye to the semifinals. But because the NCAA made the decision to select predetermined sites to host the regionals due to extensive safety protocols, the Tigers will play a road game against the No. 4 seeded Jennies. Winners from Saturday's semifinals will play for the regional championship Monday evening at 6 p.m. No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney is playing No. 3 Minnesota Duluth in the other semifinal contest.
Tickets are available in a reduced capacity for $10 per person. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
A free live video stream will also be available on The MIAA Network courtesy of Central Missouri. Fans can also tune in live to Gerard Wellbrock, the voice of the Tigers, over the airwaves on 103.3 in the Hays listening area or online.
The Tigers have now been selected to play in the national tournament six times over the last seven years after earning a bid just once in their first 23 years at the Division II level. It is the third time the Tigers have been the top overall seed over the last seven seasons.
Fort Hays State received six MIAA postseason awards this year, including first team honors to Jaden Hobbs and Whitney Randall, All-Defensive team honors to Cydney Bergmann, honorable mention status for Bergmann and Olivia Hollenbeck and Coach of the Year to Tony Hobson. It is the first time the Tigers have had multiple first team all-conference selections since 1994-95 (Kris Osthoff & Kristin Wiebe). Bergmann is the ninth Tiger to be listed on the MIAA All-Defensive team and the first since current assistant coach Paige Lunsford in 2015-16. Hollenbeck is the first Tiger freshman to earn all-conference status since Kate Lehman in 2011-12. This is Hobson's fourth MIAA Coach of the Year honor.
Despite playing a reduced schedule in the regular season, Hobbs is just 14 assists away from the program record of 166 in a single season (Kristi Leeper-Meis, 1990-91). The senior has hit 65 3-pointers this season, sixth-most in a single season in program history. She is also on pace to break the assists per game record (averaging 6.1 assists per game this season) and the 3-point shooting mark (45.1 percent this season).
Randall and Madison Mittie are the only players on the team who have appeared in an NCAA tournament game as a Tiger. Randall went off for 20 points in the last FHSU game in the national tournament (3/18/19 vs SWOSU).
Freshmen are playing 42.8 percent of the minutes (2140:21) and scoring 43.9 percent of the points (31.5 ppg) for the Tigers this season. Four different true freshmen have started a game, including Sydney Golladay, Hollenbeck, Emma Ruddle and Katie Wagner.
Hobson enters the national tournament with 695 career wins. With at most five games remaining this season, Hobson could reach 700 career wins with a national title.
The Tigers and Jennies are playing one year to the day after FHSU was scheduled to open the 2020 regional championship against Minnesota Duluth before the tournament was canceled.
Central Missouri leads the all-time series 18-15, while FHSU is on a one-game winning streak. FHSU is 4-10 in Warrensburg, including a 3-7 mark under Hobson. Hobson is 13-13 against the Jennies, a team he has coached against more than all but one other school (29 games vs ESU). The Tigers and Jennies have met seven times in the postseason, including in each of the last three years. UCM is 5-2 against the Tigers in the postseason. The Jennies are 1-0 against FHSU in the national championship.
Central Missouri is on to the regional semifinals after a 66-52 win over St. Cloud State Friday evening. The Jennies are 20-4 on the year, reaching 20 wins for the fifth straight season. The Jennies average 70.5 ppg and allow 59.8 ppg. They lead the conference in both offensive rebounds at 12.8 per game and rebounding margin at +7.7. UCM had five All-MIAA selections, including first teamer Nija Collier (15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.5 bpg), second teamer Olivia Nelson (11.6 ppg, 3.2 apg), third teamer Graycen Holden (12.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), honorable mention selection Gigi McAtee (4.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg) and defensive player of the year Morgan VanHyfte (2.2 spg, 5.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The Tigers and Jennies split the regular season series, with both teams winning on their home court.
NCAA DII Central Region Championship Tournament Notables
- The Tigers are the top overall seed for the third time over the last the last seven seasons.
- FHSU is 5-5 overall, 2-1 in the semifinals, 4-2 as the No. 1 seed, 1-1 against the No. 4 seed, 0-1 in road games, 4-3 while ranked and 1-3 vs ranked teams while ranked in the Central Region Championships.
- Whitney Randall averages 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in five career games in the NCAA Tournament.
- Madison Mittie averages 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in three career tournament contests.
Career vs. UCM
Jaden Hobbs - 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists in four games, never fewer than 14 pts
Katie Wagner - 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists in two games
Whitney Randall - 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists in eight games, 3 games with 10+ pts
Madison Mittie - 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists in five games
Katie Wagner - 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds in two games
Olivia Hollenbeck - 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds in two games
FHSU Athletics