Box Score  
 
No. 25 Fort Hays State's upset bid against No. 7 Emporia State fell just short on Saturday afternoon, as the Tigers dropped a 80-77 road contest in Emporia, Kan.
 
The Tigers fell to 16-5 (9-5 MIAA) on the season, while ESU is now 21-2 (12-2 MIAA).  Fort Hays State had knocked off ESU earlier last week in Hays, and fell just one possession short of sweeping the series. 
 
FHSU shot over 45 percent from the field for the first time since Jan. 11, and hit on 6-of-13 from 3-point range, but 21 turnovers for the Tigers proved costly.

Kate Lehman posted her second consecutive double-double, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds.  It was Lehman's second straight performance of at least 20 points, as she had a career-high 33 points against Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday. 
 
Tera Ingaslbe finished with 15 points, just three short of her career-high, with all her tallies coming in the first half.
 
Beth Bohuslavsky hit double-digits with 10 points, while Keriann Shaw pulled down nine rebounds (second most on the team). 

Tied 6-6 just 2:34 into the game, Ingalsbe hit a jumper to start a 14-6 run for FHSU that lasted just less than six minutes and gave the Tigers a 20-12 lead.  ESU, however, answered with an 11-3 run of its own, tying the game at 25 with 8:05 remaining in the half.
 
Less than two minutes later, ESU's Desiree Wylie hit a 3-pointer that gave the Lady Hornets their first lead of the night, 28-27, but Ingalsbe answered with her own long range basket just 15 seconds later, regaining the lead for FHSU (30-28).
 
After two free throws from Lehman gave the Tigers a 34-33 lead with 4:03 to go, ESU closed out the opening frame on an 8-3 run to lead, 41-37 at half.
 
FHSU led by as many as eight in the first half, and though the Tigers shot 50 percent from the field (and 62.5 percent from long range), 13 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes hurt FHSU's offensive production.
 
FHSU started the second half with a 10-4 run over the first four minutes, including a 7-0 burst (including four from Lehman) to take a 47-45 lead with 16:00 left in the game.
 
Down one (50-49) under the 15-minute mark, Lehman's layup at 14:03 started a 9-2 run to propel the Tigers into a six-point lead (58-52) and force a UCO timeout.  Chandler's second 3-pointer of the night came just prior to the timeout.
 
Lehman's layup at 9:24 put FHSU back ahead by eight (64-56), but ESU went on a 12-0 run to take the lead, 68-64 with just over six minutes remaining. 
 
Another layup from Lehman with 5:56 on the clock stopped the Tigers scoring drought of over three minutes, and an old-fashioned 3-point play soon after put FHSU ahead, 69-68 inside five minutes to play.  That was the start of a 9-3 run that gave FHSU a 75-71 lead with 2:25 to go.  
 
ESU, though, closed out the final two minutes on a 7-1 run for the win.  With just 3.2 seconds to play, FHSU had a chance to tie, down 80-77, but a last second 3-pointer attempt deflected off the rim.
 
Fort Hays State is idle until Saturday, Feb. 15, when Pittsburg State comes to Gross Memorial Coliseum for an afternoon conference matchup.