The Fort Hays State women's basketball team heads to Maryville, Mo., on Saturday (Jan. 28) to face Northwest Missouri State on the MIAA Network's Game of the Week. The Lady Tigers have never won in Maryville and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they meet the Bearcats, who are the defending MIAA champions. The game will be televised on Eagle Cable channel 15 in western Kansas and on various other affiliates throughout Kansas and Missouri.
For more information about the telecast, click
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The series between Fort Hays State and NW Missouri State dates back to the 1982-83 season. The teams have met 15 times in history, with Northwest holding a 9-6 edge in the series. The Lady Tigers have won the last two meetings, including a 84-78 win on January 29, 2011 when Northwest Missouri State was ranked No. 23 in the country. The two teams have split the season series in each of the last four seasons, with the home team winning every meeting. Fort Hays State will be looking for their first-ever win at Maryville, a place they have an 0-6 record to date.
Northwest Missouri State has struggled this season after winning the MIAA and advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II tournament last year. The Bearcats have lost three consecutive games and are averaging just 61.8 points per game. Abby Henry is the leading scorer for Northwest, averaging 13.3 points per game, while no other player is averaging in double digits. The Bearcats also struggle on the glass, being outrebounded by almost nine rebounds per game by their opponents. One main strength of the Bearcats is their quickness in the backcourt, which has helped them get 207 steals (10.9/game) so far this season.
After setting a new career-high with eight blocked shots against Lincoln, Fort Hays State freshman center
Kate Lehman vaulted past three more people and into second place in the FHSU record books for single-season blocks. Blocked shots are a stat that have only been kept since the 1984-85 season, but Lehman is on the verge of the school's single-season record and she is already in the career top 10 list at No. 7. Erica Biel's single-season record of 64 blocks in the 2008-09 season is the next milestone for Lehman and it is only eight away since she currently has 56 blocks for the year. Lehman has also taken over the conference lead in blocks with her average of 2.9 per game and she ranks No. 8 nationally in blocks per game. Even more astounding is the fact that Lehman has blocked more shots than four other teams (Missouri Western, Lincoln, Truman Southwest Baptist) in the MIAA. As a team, Fort Hays State has blocked 105 shots this season, leaving them well on pace to set the school record for single season blocked shots, which is 113 and was set during the 2008-09 season.
Fort Hays State has improved at both ends of the floor this year and they are currently averaging 74.7 points per game while allowing opponents to score just 57.6 points per game. That gives the Lady Tigers a scoring margin of +17.1, which ranks No. 8 in the NCAA Division II and No. 2 in the MIAA, behind Washburn. The Lady Blues are averaging 75.4 points per game while giving up 53.9 for a margin of +21.5.
Crista Bechard has the No. 2 assist/turnover ratio in the MIAA and ranks No. 11 in NCAA Division II as of January 22. Bechard has dished out 60 assists while turning the ball over just 27 times, giving her a ratio of 2.2. As a team, FHSU has an assist/turnover ratio of 0,98.
