LAWRENCE, Kan. - The ninth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team held a 10-point lead over the University of Kansas six minutes into Wednesday's exhibition contest (Oct. 29) before ultimately falling to the Jayhawks, 90-59.
 
The Tiger offense came out of the games white hot, hitting 7-of-9 from the floor over the first six minutes of action to race out to a 16-6 lead. Talexa Weeter scored first for the Tigers with a 3-pointer before Olivia Mortensen gave FHSU a 5-4 lead with a layup. Brooke Loewe pushed the lead to three with a jumper before Ellie Stearns knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 10-4. Weeter then dropped in three buckets in less than 90 seconds to push the lead to double figures.
 
The FHSU defense was equally as impressive early on, limiting the Jayhawks to 2-of-10 from the floor over the first six minutes while creating two turnovers and blocking one shot.
 
Kansas answered back over the final four minutes of the opening period, outscoring the Tigers 15-3 to take a 21-19 lead at the end of the quarter.
 
The Jayhawks continued to maintain control in the second quarter, doubling up the Tigers 28-14 in the frame to take a 49-33 lead into the locker room. KU continued to pull away in the third, outscoring the Tigers 26-10 to lead 75-43, before the Tigers won the fourth quarter to pull the final margin to 31.
 
The Tigers hit seven 3-pointers in the loss, hitting 33.3 percent from behind the arc (7-of-21), compared to just five long-range makes by the Jayhawks. Five different Tigers connected from long range, including two each from Stearns and Weeter and one from Kaitlin Schumann, Sarah Lawless and Mortensen.
 
FHSU held its own on the glass against the much bigger Jayhawk squad, collecting 35 rebounds compared to 42 by the home team. The Tigers held an 11-10 lead in fast-break points.
 
Eleven Tigers saw the floor, with eight different players tallying at least one point. After scoring 20-plus points nine times last season, Weeter led the team with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting. Stearns tallied 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Loewe dished out a game-high 11 assists. True freshmen Mortensen and Schumann both scored seven points each, while Schumann led the team with two blocks.
 
The Tigers will open the season at the Central Region Showcase in St. Joseph, Mo. for a third season in a row on Friday, November 14 when FHSU takes on 11th-ranked Concordia-St. Paul.