Box Score

The 21st-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team held a six-point lead with five minutes to play, but 24th-ranked Pittsburg State finished on a 12-3 run to defeat the Lady Tigers 51-48 in Pittsburg, Kan. Fort Hays State is now 11-4 overall and 3-4 in the MIAA, while Pittsburg State went to 12-4 overall, 6-2 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State struggled mightily all game on offense, but stayed in the game with tenacious defense. Pittsburg State opened the game with a 13-3 lead, but FHSU turned up its defensive intensity and ended the first half on a 21-4 run to take a 24-17 lead at halftime. FHSU shot just 22 percent from the field in the first half and started the game 1-of-15 from the field, but held Pitt State to just 26.9 percent shooting in the opening half.

The Gorillas opened the second half on a 10-2 run to take the lead back by one, but bounced back with a 10-3 run to regain the lead by six. FHSU held the lead from the 14:05 to 3:03 marks of the second half. Pittsburg State tied the game with 3:03 left when Alexa Bordewick hit a 3-point field goal to cap a quick 6-0 run by the Gorillas to tie the game 45-45.

That is when the league's leading scorer, Lizzy Jeronimus, took over for the Gorillas. She scored five of Pitt State's final six points, tying the game again at 47-47 with 2:12 remaining, then hit a runner over Kate Lehman with 20 seconds left to break a 48-48 tie. Fort Hays State could not get a strong look at the hoop to tie the game and Jeronimus buried one of two free-throws to push the final margin to three.

Fort Hays State's leading scorers struggled mightily on offense. Kate Lehman, who entered the game averaging 16.6 points per game, had just four points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field. Katelyn Edwards, who entered averaging 13.0 points per game, finished with just two points, both on free-throws. She was 0-of-10 from the field.

Melissa Nelson led FHSU in scoring with 10 points, the only Lady Tiger to reach double figures in scoring. Kaiameka Brown had nine points and Taylor Chandler had eight, mostly created off her defensive pressure.

Fort Hays State shot just 24.3 percent from the field for the game (17-of-70). The Lady Tigers also struggled to 56.3 percent from the free-throw line (9-of-16). Pittsburg State finished 36.7 percent from the field with 21 less shot attempts in the game than FHSU.

All four of Fort Hays State's losses this year have been to teams that have been in the Top 25 of the national rankings at some point in the season. FHSU is now 1-2 this year in Top 25 match-ups.

Fort Hays State has a tough road trip ahead of it next week when it travels to Lindenwood (Thursday) and Truman (Saturday). Truman knocked off 11th-ranked Central Missouri on Saturday in Kirksville, Mo. and received votes in the latest national poll.