The No. 17-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team travels to Missouri Western on Saturday (Dec. 8) for the Tigers first true road game of the season. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. from MWSU Fieldhouse.
The Tigers are 7-0 for the second straight season after a 95-50 win over No. 23 Central Missouri on Wednesday (Dec. 5) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. FHSU used a 34-1 run to start the game en route to the win. With the win, the Tigers are now 2-0 in games where both teams are ranked in the Top 25. The other win came in the 1996-97 season when No. 25 FHSU defeated No. 22 Metro State by four in Hays.
Fort Hays State holds a slight advantage in the all-time series against MWSU, leading 21-20. The series dates back to the 1976-77 season. A season ago, the Tigers and Griffons split the two-game series with both teams winning at their home court. Fort Hays won, 70-48, on Dec. 10, 2011 at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Up 27-21 at the half, FHSU scored 43 second half points for the win.
Katelyn Edwards totaled a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Traci Keyser added 13 points. The Griffons won the second meeting of the season on Jan. 30, 2012 by a 90-78 score. After trailing by one at the half, MWSU scored 58 second half points for the win. The 90 points were the most the Tigers gave up all season.
FHSU is ranked for the second straight week, jumping up six spots to No. 17 this week. The Tigers were ranked No. 23 last week. The 7-0 Tigers are ranked for the fourth time in NCAA Division II history. The other two times the Tigers were ranked was in the 1996-97 season when FHSU was ranked No. 25 two straight weeks. FHSU is 5-1 all-time while in the Top 25.
Sophomore
Kate Lehman has totaled double-doubles in three of the last four games, and she now averages a team-high 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 blocks.
Katelyn Edwards is second in points and rebounds, averaging 12.9 points and 7.7 rebounds. Three other Tigers averaged more than eight points per game. The 7-0 Tigers are outscoring their opponents by 34.3 points, which ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division II.
After this weekend, FHSU plays its final two non-conference games of the season. The Tigers travel to Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Saturday, Dec. 15 for a 5:00 p.m. tilt. FHSU then welcomes South Dakota School of Mines to Hays on Dec. 29 for a 2 p.m. game at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
