FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team clinched its sixth trip to the MIAA Championship game with a 56-49 win over Northwest Missouri State Saturday in the semifinals of the 2024 MIAA Championship, presented by Southern Bank. The Tigers (24-6) never trailed in the second half, holding on over the last 60 seconds b y making their only field goal attempt and hitting their final four free throws.
Looking to lift its third MIAA tournament trophy, Fort Hays State will take on Pittsburg State in the conference title game Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium.
Neither side could gain much advantage in the first half, with the scoring margin staying at or below three points for the duration of the first 20 minutes. The lead changed hands eight times and there were two ties in the first half, with FHSU taking the lead for good late in the second quarter on Jessie Sallach's second 3-pointer of the game.
The teams traded punches in the first quarter, with neither side leading by more than two until the final minute when a Sydney Golladay free throw followed Sallach's first triple of the game, giving the Tigers a 15-12 lead. Northwest (23-7) scored the final points of the opening frame, closing within 15-14.
Kate Dilsaver put the Tigers up three early in the second quarter before the Bearcats scored six in a row to flip the script and take a three-point lead of their own, 20-17.
The Tiger defense clamped down after that run, allowing just one NWMSU field goal over the final five minutes of the first half. FHSU scored seven of the final nine points of the first half to go into the locker room up 24-22.
Northwest Missouri State tied the score on the first possession of the second half before the Tigers took the lead for good on a Katie Wagner 3-pointer. The triple kickstarted a 10-2 Tiger run, giving FHSU a 34-26 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Bearcats responded with a 9-3 run of their own over the next three minutes, with the lone FHSU basket during the run coming on another long-range make from Sallach. After the lead was trimmed to two, Wagner and Brooke Loewe both scored in the final minute of the frame to give the Tigers a 41-35 lead.
The Tigers kept the run going, scoring the first five points of the final quarter to take their largest lead of the game, 46-35. Sallach continued her hot shooting from behind the arc, hitting her career-best fourth 3-pointer to give FHSU an 11-point lead with 8:49 to play.
Northwest Missouri State made a late push, using a 10-2 run over the heart of the fourth quarter to close within one possession, 50-47. Wagner ended the run with a layup with less than a minute to play, pushing the lead back to multiple possessions. The Bearcats closed within three with 22 seconds to go before the Tigers hit 4-of-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the win.
Wagner recorded her second-straight double-double, leading all scorers with 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The Maize, Kan. native scored 13 of her points in the second half. She now sits in fourth on the career scoring list at FHSU with 1,673 points as a Tiger.
Sallach drilled 4-of-6 from behind the arc, totaling 12 points. The Callaway, Neb. native has now hit 11 3-pointers in the last five games, including three-straight games with multiple long-range makes.Olivia Hollenbeck scored eight points but was most effective on defense, poking away a career-high five steals and blocking two s
scored eight points but was most effective on defense, poking away a career-high five steals and blocking two shots. The forward is now tied for second in program history with 166 career blocks.
Emma Ruddle scored five points and dished out a team-best five assists while adding three rebounds and one block.
The Tigers and Bearcats both hit an identical 20-of-55 from the floor (36.4 percent), while FHSU hit six more free throws. Fort Hays State turned the ball over just six times, tied for its fewest in a game this season.