The Fort Hays State women's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to five on Wednesday (Jan. 31) when in-state rival Emporia State makes its annual trek Gross Memorial Coliseum. First tip is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
The Tigers head into the clash 16-4 on the year and 7-4 in MIAA play, just one-half game behind the Lady Hornets (13-5, 8-3) in the league standings. ESU currently holds the tiebreaker thanks to its slim victory over the Tigers earlier this season in Emporia, 73-70 (12/9/17).
 
Fort Hays State can even out its home record in the all-time series with a win on Wednesday, with the Lady Hornets currently clinging to a 19-18 advantage in games played in Hays. Emporia State leads the all-time series, 49-31, including wins in each of the last three contests. Tony Hobson is 5-16 against the Lady Hornets and 4-5 against ESU at home.
 
After a long run of Emporia State dominance in the series (15 straight, 2003-13), the Tigers have five wins in the last 11 meetings. The majority of that success has come at home, with FHSU winning four of the last five meetings inside the Coliseum.
 
The Tigers have defeated Emporia State five times since the start of the 2013-14 season, more than any other school (UCM is second with four). The Lady Hornets have lost just 25 games in that span, with FHSU accounting for 20 percent of those losses.
 
Fort Hays State is coming off a pair of important road victories last week, surviving the long trip to Jefferson City, Mo. and St. Charles, Mo. with wins over Lincoln and Lindenwood. The Tigers remain just one game back in the loss column of second place in the MIAA, and they will have a chance to play three of the teams currently in front of them over the coming weeks.
 
Emma Stroyan has been in strong form of late and has a history of success against the Lady Hornets. The lone senior on the squad has scored in double figures in three of the last four games. Stroyan has averaged 8.75 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in four career contests against ESU, including a team-high 18 points in the meeting earlier this year. FHSU has made it a point to score in the post against the Lady Hornets of late, with Tatyana Legette averaging 10.4 points per game in five career games against ESU.
 
While the Lady Hornets have dominated at home this year (8-1), they are just 5-4 away from White Auditorium this season. They have lost two of their last three contests, including back-to-back losses for the first time since 2015. ESU ranks fourth in the conference with 75.8 points per night, but has allowed opponents 69.4 points each game (10th MIAA). ESU grabs 41.1 rebounds per contest, third-most in the league. Tyra Jones leads the team with 14.2 points in less than 22 minutes per contest. She ranks first in the conference with a shooting percentage of 62.5 percent, just in front of FHSU's Tatyana Legette. Jones also leads the team with 7.7 rebounds each game, joining Legette as two of six MIAA players ranked in the top 15 in scoring and rebounding. Morgan Laudan and Jacee Kramer both dish out 2.2 assists per game. Jory Collins is in the middle of his eighth season at the helm at ESU, leading the Lady Hornets to a 195-52 record during that span.