No. 1/2 Fort Hays State (7-0, 2-0 MIAA) vs.
No. 17/14 Nebraska-Kearney (7-1, 2-0 MIAA)
Saturday, December 11, 2021 • 2 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Vyve Broadband
National Anthem: Trilogy
Promotions: Gold Rush - Wear your gold to the game!
Stuffed Animal Toss - Bring a stuffed animal or toy to donate for Toys for Tots and get a $5 general admission ticket. Stuffed animals will be tossed onto the court during halftime of the men's game.
Halftime Performance: Tiger Debs

The top-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team returns home Saturday (Dec. 11) to wrap up rivalry week against 17th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. Opening tip in the 2021 MIAA Championship rematch is slated for 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

After defeating in-state rivals Washburn and Emporia State on the road last week, the Tigers (7-0, 2-0 MIAA) look to complete the trifecta against the Lopers. The Tigers have played (UNK 97 meetings, ESU 89, WU 85), and defeated(UNK 58 wins, WU 38, ESU 37), those those three schools more than any other team in program history.

Fans are encouraged to wear gold to the game to participate in the Gold Rush and are asked to bring toys and stuffed animals to donate to Toys for Tots. Fans that bring a toy or stuffed animal to donate will be eligible to purchase a general admission ticket for just $5. Stuffed animals will be tossed onto the court during halftime of the men's game.

The Tigers and Lopers played three times last season, with Fort Hays State defeating UNK twice in three days during the regular season. The Lopers got their revenge in the MIAA Championship game (3/7/21), defeating the Tigers in Hays by six, 57-51, ending a 17-game winning streak for the Tigers.

With the men also entering the weekend 7-0 on the year, Fort Hays State is one of just three schools in Division II and one of only five across all NCAA divisions without a loss on the hardcourt this season. Other schools include Arizona in Division I, Indiana (Pa.) and Texas A&M Commerce in Division II and Amherst in Division III.

Four Tigers are scoring in double figures on a nightly basis this season, including Katie Wagner (18.7 ppg), Whitney Randall (12.4 ppg), Lauren West (11.7 ppg) and Olivia Hollenbeck (11.4 ppg). Wagner also leads the team in rebounding with an average of 11.9 boards per game and is one of four players in the conference averaging a double-double.

Jaden Hobbs is averaging 15.8 points and 5.2 assists in five games against the Lopers while scoring in double figures in all five contests. Wagner averaged 9.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in the three matchups last year.

The Tigers' seven-game winning streak to open the season is tied for the fourth-longest streak at the start of a year in program history.

Fort Hays State is 3-0 at home this season, improving their record inside Gross Memorial Coliseum to 177-27 during the Tony Hobson era.

Since the 1979-80 season (when dates of games are known), the Tigers are 7-3 on December 11, with the most recent result a 92-40 win over Bethany (Kan.) in 2019.

This is the 98th meeting all-time between the Tigers and Lopers, the most in any series in team history. Fort Hays State holds a 58-39 edge in the series, including a 35-13 lead against the Lopers in Hays. Fort Hays State has won 19 of the last 23 meetings overall, but UNK has been victorious in three of the last five rivalry games. The Tigers are 19-5 against the Lopers under Hobson and 9-4 in games played in Hays.

Nebraska-Kearney is 7-1 this season, including a 2-0 mark in the conference and a 2-0 record in true road games. The lone Loper loss came against Southwest Minnesota State in Maryville, Mo. during the opening weekend of the season, 76-66 (Nov. 13). The Lopers lead the conference and rank fifth nationally with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.33. UNK turns the ball over just 11.0 times per game, fewest in the league and 3rd-fewest nationally. The Loper defense allows just 53.2 points per game, fewest in the conference and the 22nd-lowest tally in the country. Shiloh McCool, the reigning MIAA Player of the Week, has three double-doubles this season, fifth-most in the conference. She ranks sixth in the league with an average of 8.9 rebounds per game. Haley Simental ranks third in the league with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.25 and is eighth with 15 made 3-pointers this season. Three Lopers average in double figures in scoring, including Klaire Kirsch with a team-best 11.2 points per game.