After dropping a home game to Nebraska-Kearney earlier this season, the Fort Hays State women's basketball team heads north looking to return the favor on Tuesday (Feb. 20). First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. from the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Neb.
 
The teams head into the final week of the season deadlocked at 12-5 in the conference standings, good for a tie for third. A win Tuesday would go a long way in securing a bye in the first round of the MIAA Tournament, while the loser will still have work to do for a direct ticket to Kansas City.
 
Central Missouri and Pittsburg State have locked up their spot in KC, while the Tigers and Lopers are still jockeying for position with Central Oklahoma and Emporia State, who are one game back in a tie for fifth. At the very least, all four schools have secured a home game in the first round of the postseason tournament.
 
The Lopers outplayed Fort Hays State last month in Hays (Jan. 13), leaving town with a 78-64 victory. The teams have had similar results since that contest, with the lone exception being FHSU's home win against Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos knocked off UNK in Nebraska last week.
 
Former FHSU assistant Carrie Eighmey led the Lopers to their first win over the Tigers since 2008, Tony Hobson's first season in Hays. The Tigers are 53-36 all-time against Nebraska-Kearney, with FHSU playing the Lopers more than any other team in program history. UNK holds a slim 23-20 lead in games played in Kearney. However, Hobson has never lost inside the Health & Sports Center, going a perfect 7-0 on the road against the Lopers. He is 14-2 all-time against UNK.
 
Lanie Page had a strong two weeks against the Oklahoma schools in the conference, averaging 15.8 points over the last four contests including 17-, 19- and 20-point performances. Page and Carly Heim (23 points) took control against Central Oklahoma over the weekend, giving FHSU multiple 20-point performers in the same game for the second time this season.
 
Heim has been on a tear over the last month, averaging 15.4 points and 2.6 assists per game since January 20. The junior guard has knocked down 52.6 percent of her shots during that span including a 50.0 clip from behind the arc.
 
The rest of the offense is chipping in just as much as Heim and Page, with the Tigers shooting better than 49 percent from the floor four times over the last month. Fort Hays State has controlled the ball well all year, but the Tigers have taken possession to another level of late. The team has turned the ball over just 9.8 times per night over the last 11 games.
 
Nebraska-Kearney is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings, second-highest among MIAA teams. The Lopers lead the league in 3-point percentage, knocking down 35.8 percent from behind the arc. UNK sports three players averaging more than 10 points per game, including Michaela Barry (17.6 points), McKenzie Brown (14.1 ppg) and Alyssa Frauendorfer (11.4 ppg). Barry ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and ninth in the league in assists (3.0 apg).