After a two-week break from action, the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team will return to the court this weekend with a two-game road swing through southwest Missouri. The Tigers will take on Missouri Southern on Jan. 4 at 1 p.m., and Southwest Baptist on Jan. 6 at 5:30 p.m. FHSU enters the trip at 8-1 overall, and 2-1 in the MIAA.
The Tigers are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, picking up two conference victories over Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State in that span. FHSU is just one game out of first in the conference, and will look to snag two wins away from Hays, starting with a Missouri Southern squad that holds an identical conference record, and ending against a Southwest Baptist squad that is 6-4 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA.
FHSU has continued its trend of recent years by starting hot in November and December, but will need to continue its winning ways in hopes of snagging a postseason berth. The Tigers are currently receiving 35 votes in the WBCA poll, and on the verge of breaking into the Top 25 nationally.
Junior
Kate Lehman is coming off a week that saw her grab MIAA Athlete of the Week honors (second time this season), and she is averaging 15.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, the junior center leads the nation with 5.6 blocks per game, and now holds the MIAA's career blocks mark, with 269 so far in her career.
Katelyn Edwards (14.3),
Chelsea Mason (13.6) and
Tera Ingalsbe (10.6) are all averaging double digits in points this season, while Edwards has pulled down 8.3 rebounds per contest - just below the double-double mark.
** Against Missouri Southern on Saturday, FHSU fell, 76-71, in the first game of 2014. The Tigers were led by Kate Lehman's seventh straight double-double in points (17) and rebounds (15), and Katelyn Edwards had 17 points. FHSU led by as many as eight in the second half, but were done-in by a late MSSU comeback.
