MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team kept the Kansas State Wildcats on their toes for much of the first three quarters on Monday (Oct. 31) before KSU pulled away in the fourth quarter to win by 11 in exhibition play, 74-63. The Tigers were within one point at the end of the third frame, but K-State opened the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run to pull away for good.
 
The Tigers got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-0 before using a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game on a corner 3-pointer from Sasha Koenig. Katie Wagner went 3-for-3 during the run, scoring the first six of her team-high 17 points. K-State regained the lead on a 3-pointer late in the first quarter before a stick-back layup from Clary Donica put the Tigers back in front early in the second stanza, 16-15.
 
The Wildcats regained control after that point, taking an eight-point lead into the locker room, 34-26. KSU then opened the second half on an 8-2 run to pad the lead to 14 before a massive 13-0 Tiger run cut the deficit to one.
 
Fort Hays State scored on six of seven possessions over the heart of the third quarter, including seven points from Kate Dilsaver. The Tiger defense forced seven-straight misses from the Wildcats and created one turnover during the three-minute, 43-second run.
 
Jessie Sallach opened the run with a jumper before Dilsaver buried a 3-pointer from the right wing. The Lincoln, Neb. sophomore then blocked a shot on the defensive end before Sydney Golladay made a layup through contact and connected on the ensuing free throw to make it a six-point game. A Donica free throw and a pair of driving layups from Dilsaver that bookended the media timeout helped the Tigers claw within one with 3:41 on the clock in the third quarter, 42-41.
 
The teams traded punches over the final minutes of the third quarter, with Brooke Loewe connecting on a pair of free throws to keep the margin at one entering the final frame, 47-46.
 
That's when the Wildcat defense took control, forcing FHSU to miss its first six shots and make five early turnovers in the fourth quarter. K-State took advantage, scoring eight of the first 10 points in the period to build the lead back to double figures. The Wildcats later led by as many as 16 before 3-pointers from Emma Ruddle and Whitney Brown and a Kia Wilson layup helped the Tigers close within 11 by the final horn.
 
Donica led the Tigers with 10 rebounds while adding seven points and two assists. Golladay led the team with five assists alongside five rebounds and three points. In addition to leading the team with 17 points, Wagner grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists. Thirteen different Tigers played in the game, with 11 of the 13 finding their way onto the scoresheet. K-State was led by Gabby Gregory with 22 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Tigers outshot K-State for the game, 38.7 percent to 37.9 percent. Each team collected 42 rebounds in the contest, with FHSU scoring seven second-chance points to eight for the Wildcats. FHSU outscored the Wildcats in the paint, 24-22, and off the bench, 30-13.
 
Fort Hays State and seven other top Division II teams from across the country will open the regular season this weekend at the 2022 D2CCA Tip-Off Classic inside historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Tigers will first play West Texas A&M, a national quarterfinalist from last season, on Saturday (Nov. 4) and before battling Southern Nazarene on Sunday (Nov. 5), with both contests beginning at 1:30 p.m. FHSU's home opener is set for Friday, November 18 against Minnesota State at 6 p.m.