ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opened the year where it left off last regular season, leading wire-to-wire in an 81-65 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday (Nov. 12) in the Hillyard Women's Basketball Tip-Off Classic. The win was Fort Hays State's 18th-consecutive season-opening victory and was the 44th-consecutive non-conference, regular season win for the team.
Lauren West opened her first game as a Tiger with a 3-pointer just eight seconds into the game after Olivia Hollenbeck won the opening tip, putting FHSU in front for good. The Tigers stretched the lead to nine, 13-4, five minutes in off a breakaway layup from Whitney Randall, forcing the Savage Storm to use a timeout. FHSU led by as many as 10 in the first quarter after a stick-back layup from Jessie Sallach before wrapping up the frame in front by nine, 25-16.
Emma Ruddle helped the Tigers stretch the lead to 15 by scoring seven-straight points in the second quarter, dropping in a pair of driving layups before drilling a triple from the left corner. A pair of Olivia Hollenbeck free throws put the Tigers in front by 15 with less than two minutes to play before the break, but SEOSU closed the half on a 10-2 run to close within seven at halftime.
The Savage Storm closed within five with a quick bucket in the third quarter, but a 3-pointer from Jaden Hobbs and a layup from Kate Dilsaver stretched the lead back to double digits four minutes into the frame. Katie Wagner took over at that point, scoring 10 of her career-high 23 points in the third quarter. SEOSU momentarily narrowed the deficit to single digits late in the frame, but the Tigers closed the stanza on an 8-2 run to head into the fourth up 67-53.
The largest lead of the game came late in the fourth quarter when Megan Earney drilled a pair of 3-pointers in 30 seconds, putting FHSU in front 81-63 with 53 seconds to play.
Wagner also led the team with nine rebounds and three steals. West added 10 points in her Tiger debut, while Earney had nine points and Dilsaver had six points, seven rebounds and three assists in their first game in an FHSU uniform.
Hobbs distributed eight assists and added nine points, while Ruddle added nine points off the bench.
Nine different Tigers scored, including seven with six or more points.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 48.4 percent from the floor (30-of-62) while holding the Savage Storm to a 39.1 percent shooting effort (25-of-64). FHSU grabbed 10 more rebounds than SEOSU, 43-33. Both sides controlled the ball well, combining for just 19 turnovers in the contest (FHSU 10, SEOSU 9).
Fort Hays State will wrap up the opening weekend against Sioux Falls Saturday (Nov. 13) beginning at 1:30 p.m.