The Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play their final home game in the month of January on Saturday (Jan. 21) as they host the Blue Tigers of Lincoln University. The Lady Tigers finished the first round of conference play with a 6-4 record and tied for fourth place in the MIAA with Central Missouri, two games behind Emporia State for third.
Lincoln is the newest member of the MIAA and the only conference member that Fort Hays State has not suffered a defeat against. FHSU swept the Blue Tigers last season, Lincoln's first in the league, by winning 62-39 in Hays before a 64-60 overtime win in Jefferson City. Earlier this season, the Lady Tigers again won in Jefferson City, this time by a score of 71-65.
Vivian Essuon is the only player in the MIAA to be averaging a double-double, with season averages of 15.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Essuon has won the MIAA's Player of the Week award twice this season and she ranks third in the conference in scoring. Freddie Sims and Arriana Walker are the other top offensive threats for Lincoln, averaging 12.1 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. The Blue Tigers are giving up an average of 65.1 points per game, but they are averaging 10.6 steals per game, which is tied for the best mark in the conference.
Wednesday's loss at No. 20 Emporia State marked the first consecutive losses for the Lady Tigers this season after starting the year with two losses in the first 16 games. Fort Hays State has not gone through an entire season without losing two straight games as a member of NCAA Division II. The NAIA National Championship team of 1990-91 is the last team in school history to not lose consecutive games during the course of a season.
Traci Keyser's consistent play during her two plus years in a Tiger uniform has already found her climbing up some all-time lists at Fort Hays State. Keyser has recently made her way into the top 10 lists for made three point field goals, attempted three point field goals and made free throws. Keyser sits ninth in both made three pointers, needing two to tie Katie Rhodes for eighth, and attempted three's where she needs 18 more to tie Rhodes for eighth. Keyser broke into the top 10 in made free throws against Emporia State with 232, five behind Erica Biel for ninth place. However, she still needs 72 free throw attempts before she would climb into the top 10 list for free throw attempts. Keyser's career free throw percentage of 89.2% (232-260) would shatter Naomi Bancroft's current school record of 85.9%. Keyser is shooting 87.9% (80-91) from the free throw line this season, ranking third in the conference after leading the MIAA and setting the school record for single-season free throw percentage each of the past two seasons.
