Game Notes I Watch Live I Listen Live I Live Stats
Fresh off a 70-58 victory over Central Missouri, the Fort Hays State women's basketball team will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 8) at Southwest Baptist. The Lady Tigers (6-4, 3-4 MIAA) will be looking to gain their first road victory of the year against the Bearcats (4-7, 1-6 MIAA).
Fort Hays State and Southwest Baptist had not met in women's basketball until the Tigers joined the MIAA in 2006-07. Since then, the Bearcats hold a 5-3 edge in the series, including wins in all four meetings in Bolivar. The teams have split the meetings in each of the past three seasons, with the home team winning each time.
Kara Champlin is having a solid senior season for FHSU in the post. Champlin is now the team's leading scorer (9.6 points per game) and rebounder (5.8 rebounds per game). In addition, her field goal percentage of 59.4% (41-for-69) is also the best on the team.
Other main scoring threats for FHSU include
Kimber Weiser,
Rhys Pihl and
Traci Keyser. Weiser has struggled shooting the ball of late, going a combined 5-of-28 (17.9%) from the field and 2-of-12 (16.7%) behind the 3-point line in the past four games after scoring in double figures in each of the five previous games. She is still the team's second leading scorer, averaging 8.7 points per game.
Pihl broke out of her recent shooting slump against Central Missouri when she hit 4-of-8 shots, including 3-of-6 from long range on her way to scoring 15 points. By hitting her first 3-point attempt of the evening, she snapped an 0-for-15 streak beyond the arc. Pihl is the Tigers third-leading scorer averaging 8.4 points per game and she leads the team in 3-point field goals made (15) and free throws made (27).
Keyser is the fourth leading scorer for the Lady Tigers averaging 8.0 points per game. She also leads FHSU and the MIAA in free-throw percentage at 96.3% (26-for-27). Keyser saw her streak of consecutive free throws made snapped at 30 against Central Missouri when she missed her second attempt of the game. Last season, as a freshman, Keyser led the conference in free-throw percentage at 88.9%, which also set a single-season record at FHSU.
Southwest Baptist is currently in the midst of a five-game conference losing streak, including losses in their last two games against Top-10 teams Washburn and Emporia State. The Bearcats are 2-3 at home on the year, but 0-3 in conference home games. Senior guard Ashleigh Gallio leads the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game and also assists with 3.4 per game. The Bearcats are also strong in the post where forwards Jacqui Zelenka and Kourtni Williams are both averaging 9.6 points per game while Whitney Malone is the fourth-leading rebounder in the MIAA, grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game.
The Lady Tigers finish up this road swing with a visit to Missouri Southern on Monday (Jan. 10) in Joplin, Mo. before returning home for a pair of home games against Pittsburg State on Saturday, January 15 and Emporia State on Wednesday, January 19.
