HAYS, Kan. - The 23rd-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team took care of business at home again Saturday (Nov. 16), knocking off MSU Denver by 23 points, 75-52. The Tigers improve to 4-0 on the year, while the Roadrunners are now 0-4 to start the season.
 
Fort Hays State put together a balanced offensive attack that included four players with 10 or more points for the first time in 10 games (2/24/24 vs. MSSU) alongside two others with at least seven points. The Tigers hit more than 40 percent of their shots for the fourth time in as many games, pouring in 43.9 percent against MSU Denver (29-of-66).
 
The Roadrunners scored five of the first six points to take an early four-point lead, FHSU's largest deficit so far this season. The Tigers then scored the next 10 points to take the lead for good, including four points from Kate Dilsaver and a Brooke Loewe 3-pointer. Fort Hays State pushed its lead to eight by the end of the first period thanks to back-to-back Talexa Weeter 3-pointers in the final minute of the frame.
 
Fort Hays State pushed its lead to 15 three minutes into the second quarter on a Dilsaver fast break layup before MSU Denver scored the next six points to close within nine, 31-22. The teams traded six-point runs over the next four minutes before a late Loewe layup gave the home team a 39-28 halftime lead.
 
The Tigers maintained a double-digit lead for the duration of the second half, outscoring the Roadrunners 20-14 in the third quarter and 16-10 in the final stanza. The fifth-year duo of Olivia Hollenbeck and Katie Wagner DeGarmo took over for FHSU in the third, combining to score 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
 
Fort Hays State built its lead as high as 25 with three minutes left in the game on an Avery Lowe 3-point play, putting the Tigers up 73-48.
 
The Tigers turned the ball over a season-low nine times while poking away 11 steals and forcing 15 Roadrunner turnovers. FHSU cleaned up on the glass, outrebounding the visitors by 12, 46-34.
 
DeGarmo and Hollenbeck both scored 14 points to lead the Tigers, with DeGarmo also contributing nine rebounds and three assists and Hollenbeck totaling six rebounds and four steals. After scoring a career-high 11 points Friday night, Weeter increased that total by one point on Saturday, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds for her first-career double-double. Dilsaver also scored 12 points, while Loewe totaled nine points and seven assists, one off her career high.
 
Mikylah Espinosa led the Roadrunners with 17 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers.
 
The Tigers will have 10 days to practice before returning to the floor on Tuesday, November 26 when they host Tabor College beginning at 6 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.