HAYS, Kan. - The 19th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team rallied from an early 12-point deficit to defeat Emporia State Saturday afternoon (Jan. 27) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, 72-63. After using a big third quarter to rally against Washburn on Thursday, it was a dominant second quarter that allowed the Tigers (16-3, 10-3 MIAA) to pull in front for good this time, with FHSU outscoring the Lady Hornets (9-10, 6-7 MIAA) 20-6 in the frame.
 
The win extended FHSU's current winning streak over Emporia State to four games, tied for the longest Tiger winning streak in series history.
 
Emporia State opened the game with a flurry of 3-pointers, knocking down four in a row to quickly build a double-digit lead. The Tigers struggled from the floor over the first five minutes, hitting just one of their first seven shots, but found their form over the next five minutes. The teams traded baskets the rest of the first frame, with ESU leading by 10 after 10 minutes, 21-11.
 
The Tigers quickly put their lowest scoring first quarter of the season in the rearview when they opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run to tie things up at 23. Jessie Sallach put the team on her back in the frame, scoring eight of her 12 points in that stanza.
 
Megan Earney gave the Tigers their first lead of the game 17 minutes into the night with a 3-pointer, but ESU answered right back to go back up 27-26. Emma Ruddle later gave the Tigers the lead for good with a 3-pointer of her own before Sallach scored the final basket of the frame, putting FHSU in front 31-27 at the break.
 
Ellie Stearns kept the run going by hitting the first Tiger shot of the second half before Sydney Golladay poured in a jumper to make it a 10-0 run and put FHSU up nine, 36-27. The Lady Hornets would not go away, however, bouncing back from a poor-shooting second quarter by hitting eight 3-pointers in the second half.
 
ESU closed within one possession four times after halftime, but the Tigers had an answer on each occasion. After hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, Earney doubled that effort in the second half, finishing the game 6-of-11 from behind the arc for a season-high 20 points. Three other Tigers found the bottom of the net after halftime, with Golladay, Ruddle and Stearns all knocking in a long-range basket.
 
Early in the fourth quarter the visitors hit buckets to close within three points, but each time Earney answered right back with a 3-pointer of her own to keep the Lady Hornets at bay. A big second-chance layup from Katie Wagner after her own offensive rebound gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game midway through the fourth quarter, 66-55. ESU scored eight of the next 10 points to close within five with 2:23 to go, but the vaunted Tiger defense managed to close things out after forcing five missed shots and one turnover down the stretch.
 
Earney's six 3-pointers, the most by a Tiger this season and fourth-most by an MIAA student-athlete on the year, helped her lead the team with 20 points, one off her career high. Wagner added 14 points and 12 rebounds for her 30th career double-double, while Sallach scored 12 and Ruddle added 10 points. Golladay dished out eight assists, while Ruddle led the team with three steals.
 
The Tigers finished the game shooting 45.8 percent from the floor (27-of-59) and 40 percent from behind the arc (10-of-25). Emporia State knocked down 40.6 percent from deep on the day (13-of-32), but hit just 30.8 percent of its shots from inside the arc (8-of-26). Neither team missed from the free-throw line, with each finishing 8-for-8.
 
Fort Hays State dominated on the boards, outrebounding ESU 39-28. The Tigers took advantage of 13 offensive rebounds, scoring 22 second-chance points. Fort Hays State had a huge edge in points off the bench, with reserves scoring 36 for the Tigers and just six for the Lady Hornets.
 
The Tigers will hit the road next weekend, traveling to Missouri to take on Missouri Western on Thursday (Feb. 1, 5:30 p.m.) and Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (Feb. 3, 1:30 p.m.).