The Fort Hays State women's basketball team plays its third of four-straight home games on Saturday (Nov. 17) against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers are currently 2-0 after two wins over McPherson College and Bethany College.
For the season straight game, FHSU's defense allowed only 37 points in the 82-37 win over Bethany College on Tuesday (Nov. 13).
Kate Lehman led the offense with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
Keriann Shaw totaled a game-high eight rebounds.
Fort Hays State and Northwestern Oklahoma State meet for the second straight season. A season ago, the Tigers defeated the Rangers, 101-53, on Nov. 19, 2011 at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers were hot from the field, shooting 52.4 percent and 56 percent from the field. Four Tigers were in double figures led by 17 points from
Katelyn Edwards. All four Tigers return for this season's game.
The game is the 18th meeting between the two programs. The Rangers currently lead the all-time series, 10-7; however, the Tigers have won the last four meetings, all at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The last the NWOSU won against FHSU was the 1982-83 season. The Rangers won 79-66 at a neutral site. The first meeting between the two teams occurred in the season opener of the 1974-75 season with the Rangers winning 66-53 in Hays. NWOSU won seven of the first eight meetings from the 1974-75 season to 1979-80 season.
Northwestern Oklahoma State returns three of the five starters from the 2011-12 team. The leading returner is senior forward Audrey Richmond, who has led the Rangers in scoring average in all three of her seasons as a Ranger. She averaged 13.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg, but did not appear in the season opener. In its season opener loss to Rogers State, Renee Golliday led NWOSU with 15 points and six rebounds. The Rangers are in the first year of a three year process to transition to NCAA Division II, and the Rangers are a provisional member of the Great American Conferece. A season ago, NWOSU was a NAIA member of the Sooner Athletic Conference and finished with a 14-16 record and 10-11 in the SAC, which placed the Rangers in seventh place.
With the 82-37 win over Bethany College on Tuesday, the Tigers are 2-0 at Gross Memorial Coliseum. In the 2011-12 season, FHSU went 12-3 at the Coliseum, including a 5-0 record in non-conference home games. Under
Tony Hobson, the Tigers are 43-17 in home games and 23-6 against non-conference opponents.
The Tigers end their four-game homestand with a game on Tuesday (Nov. 20) against Newman University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
