KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Things got interesting late, but a wire-to-wire victory over Pittsburg State in the semifinals of the 2018 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship has earned the Fort Hays State women's basketball team a birth in their second MIAA championship game. The Tigers led by as many as 17 before holding on down the stretch to knock off the Gorillas, 52-46 on Saturday (March 3).
 
Fort Hays State will take on the winner of Lindenwood and Missouri Western in the conference title game at 1 p.m. Sunday inside historic Municipal Auditorium.
 
The Tigers dominated in the first quarter, limiting the Gorillas to their lowest scoring quarter of the season. FHSU hit 50 percent of its shots, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc, while holding Pittsburg State to just 3-of-16 shooting to lead 19-6 after 10 minutes of play.
 
The Black and Gold then went cold in the second quarter, allowing Pittsburg State to close within seven by halftime, 25-18. The Tigers scored six points in the frame, their lowest scoring quarter this year. The Gorillas were not much better, hitting just four field goals in the quarter.
 
Fort Hays State pulled away once again in the third quarter, outscoring the Gorillas 15-4 over the final eight minutes of the period to build its largest lead of the afternoon, 42-25. Tatyana Legette and Emma Stroyan hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions midway through the quarter, quickly doubling a six-point lead to a 12-point advantage and forcing a Gorilla timeout.
 
Later in the quarter, the Tigers controlled the ball for almost two minutes of game clock after three offensive rebounds and a technical foul, allowing Legette to sink four free throws during the stretch. Carly Heim swished a 3-pointer as the clock expired in the frame, putting the Tigers in front by 17 points with 10 minutes to play.
 
The Gorillas rallied in the fourth quarter, making 53.3 percent of their shots in the final frame to make things interesting down the stretch. Pittsburg State clamped down on defense, using a 16-4 run to close within five with 2:23 to play after a pair of 3-pointers for the Gorillas closed the gap to 48-43.
 
Performance at the free-throw line played a big part in the waning moments, with PSU hitting just 3-of-11 at the stripe in the fourth quarter. The Tigers attempted their first free throws with 31 seconds to play, still up five. Heim missed them both, but grabbed a huge offensive rebound after the second miss to retain possession. The junior went on to hit four from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds, helping the Tigers seal the win.
 
Heim dropped in a game-high 15 points while Kacey Kennett matched her career high with a game-best 10 rebounds. Stroyan added 12 points, including a pair of 3-point makes. Legette and Kennett both dished out three assists in the victory.