By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
HAYS, Kan. – Clary Danica scored a season-high 17 points, Katie Wagner and Emma Ruddle both added 10 and the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team used a big second half to defeat Tabor College 65-41 in a makeup game Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
The Tigers (8-1) forced 22 turnovers in the game, 14 of them in the second half, thanks to a season-high 14 steals and outscored the Bluejays 29-12 in the second half as they bounced back from their first loss of the season.
The lead changed hands four times early with Tabor (9-2) leading by five before Emma Ruddle scored seven straight points to put FHSU up two. Ruddle scored on three of four possessions while adding a block on the defensive end.
The game was tied 13-13 after the first quarter, but a layup from Jessie Sallach early in the second quarter gave the Tigers the lead for good. Back-to-back buckets from Donica pushed FHSU's lead to double figures. A late 3-pointer from Megan Earney gave the Tigers a seven-point lead at the break, 36-29.
Fort Hays State rattled off 12-consecutive points in the third quarter, holding Tabor scoreless for nearly seven minutes as the Tigers pushed the lead to 17. The Tigers opened the fourth quarter with a 10-1 run thanks to a strong performance from Donica. The graduate student racked up 13 points in the frame on 6-of-8 shooting while adding four rebounds and one steal. She tied Katie Wagner with a team-best five rebounds.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 47.4 percent from the floor (27-of-57) while limiting Tabor to a shooting percentage of 37.2 percent (16-of-43) and 2-for-17 from beyond the arc. FHSU outrebounded the Bluejays by 15 and scored 16 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds.
Fort Hays State returns to MIAA play Sunday afternoon in Wichita against Newman. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.