Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (19-7, 14-4 MIAA)
vs. #10/#15 Central Missouri (18-3, 14-3 MIAA)
Saturday, February 11, 2023 • 2 p.m.
Hays, Kansas • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Vyve Broadband
National Anthem: Holy Family Elementary Joyful Noise
Promotions: Senior Night, FHSU Student-Athlete Academic Recognition, 20-year Donor Recognition
Halftime: Big Creek Crossing Baby Crawl
 
The Fort Hays State women's basketball team plays at home for the final time this season on Saturday (Feb. 11) when FHSU hosts 10th-ranked Central Missouri beginning at 2 p.m.
 
The Tigers will honor the lone senior on this year's roster, forward Clary Donica, pregame in advance of her final home game in a Tiger uniform.
 
Fort Hays State (19-7, 14-4 MIAA) enters the contest in fourth place in the MIAA standings, one-half game behind the Jennies (18-3, 14-3 MIAA). The Tigers and Jennies are two of six teams that are separated by just two games atop the league standings. Fort Hays State will play four of the five other teams in that mix over the final three weeks of the season, including UCM, Pittsburg State, No. 21 Missouri Southern and No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney.

Live video of the conference clash will be available on The MIAA Network, presented by Tiger Media Network. Fans can purchase access to a single contest for $10, a month-long pass for $25 or a season-long, all-access pass for $125. Both the monthly and year-long passes gain access to any event in any sport streamed on The MIAA Network.
 
Live radio coverage with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock will be available over the air on KJLS 103.3 FM and online at hayspost.com.
 
Both teams in Saturday's matchup are among the nation's best at ball control, with FHSU ranking third in the country with 11.9 turnovers per game and UCM close behind in 12th with an average of 12.8 miscues per contest.
 
Katie Wagner has five career games played against the Jennies, with the sophomore averaging 12.2 points per game in those contests. Jessie Sallach has scored in double figures three times in six tries against UCM.
 
With 120 career blocks, sophomore Olivia Hollenbeck needs one more swat to tie Jamie Heiman for sixth all-time at FHSU. The Lincoln, Neb. native also needs 61 points to reach 1,000 in her career.
 
The Tigers need one win to reach 20 victories for the 12th-consecutive season. Their current streak of 11 such seasons is the longest active streak in Division II.
 
Thursday's win over Lincoln was FHSU's 10th home victory of the year. The Tigers have won at least 10 games inside the Coliseum in each of the last 13 years and in 14 of Hobson's 15 seasons at FHSU. The Tigers have won at least 10 games at home in 35 of their 50 seasons played inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
Central Missouri leads the all-time series 20-17, including a narrow one-point victory in Warrensburg earlier this season (12/31/2022, 63-62). However, the Tigers have dominated in series history at home, winning 10 of the 12 all-time matchups inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Fort Hays State has won eight in a row at home over the Jennies, with the last UCM road win coming in February 2010. Tony Hobson is 15-15 all-time against UCM, including a 9-1 mark at home.
 
Central Missouri heads to Hays after dropping back-to-back games for the first time since October 2021. Two of UCM's three losses this season took place away from home. UCM knocks down 46.3 percent from the floor, 10th-best in Division II and tops in the MIAA. The Jennies outrebound their opponents by an average of 8.2 boards per game, 11th-best in Division II. Brooke Littrell ranks 15th nationally and second in the MIAA with an average of 19.5 points per night.