#8 Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (8-1, 1-1 MIAA)
vs. Tabor (6-7, 4-3 KCAC)
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 • 5:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
 
The eighth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team continues a five-game homestand on Tuesday (Dec. 16) when the Tigers host Tabor College. First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
Game Coverage
Live video will be available on The MIAA Network, with subscriptions available at $15 per game, $35 for a monthly subscription or $140 for an all-access pass. Radio coverage will be available on KJLS 103.3 FM or online here, with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock on the call. Live stats will be available online here.
 
Tickets
General admission tickets are available in advance or at the door at a cost of $12 for adults and $5 for youth K-12. Children 5 and under get in free of charge.
 
Quick Hits
- Despite ranking eighth in the MIAA with an average of 16.1 turnovers per game, the Tigers have committed just 9.5 turnovers per game over the last two contests.
- Brooke Loewe broke the school record in career assists on Saturday, now with 480 in 102 career games. The record she broke was more than 24 years old (478, Maisha Prewitt, 1997-01). The senior is third amongst active DII players and ranks 14th across all NCAA Divisions in career assists, while this year she leads all NCAA Divisions with an average of 10.2 assists per game.
- Talexa Weeter leads all Division II and ranks second across all NCAA Divisions with an average of 28.6 points per game. She's scored 23 or more points in eight of nine games this season, including four with 30-plus.
- FHSU is now 11-1 coming off a loss during the Talia Kahrs era after thumping Pittsburg State on Saturday.
- The Tigers are now 30-5 in home openers during the NCAA DII era (since 1991-92).
- Fort Hays State reached the 20-win plateau for the 14th-consecutive season last year. That is the longest active streak in Division II and is tied for sixth-longest across all NCAA divisions. In comparison, the next longest current streak in the MIAA is four (Missouri Western), while the next longest in DII is Drury with 12.
 
Roster Report
- Fort Hays State's roster includes seven returners and six newcomers, including five freshmen and one transfer.
- This year's squad includes players from seven different states, including five from Kansas, three from Colorado and one each from Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina and Texas.
- There are three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen on the squad this year.
- The Tigers return two All-MIAA honorable mention selections in Brooke Loewe and Talexa Weeter.
 
20 Wins Now the Norm
- Fort Hays State has now reached the 20-win plateau in each of the last 14 seasons, extending the longest active streak of 20-win seasons in Division II. FHSU's streak is tied for the sixth-longest active streak of 20-win seasons across all NCAA Divisions.
- FHSU reached the 20-win plateau just eight times over the first 42 years of the program before the current streak began in 2011-12, including no more than two consecutive 20-win campaigns during that time.
- The next-best active streak of 20-win seasons in the MIAA is four (MWSU), while the next-best streak in DII is Drury with 12.
- Only five DI programs have longer active stretches of 20-win seasons, including UConn (32), Baylor (25), Stanford (23), Florida Gulf Coast (21) and Louisville (15). Fort Hays State's run of 14-straight 20-win seasons is tied with South Carolina and South Dakota State for sixth-best in all NCAA women's basketball.
 
National Rankings
- FHSU ranks second in the country with 19.4 assists per game while ranking 11th in field goal percentage (46.7 percent) and 18th in scoring offense (78.1 ppg).
- Brooke Loewe's 10.2 assists per game are the most across all NCAA Divisions. The DI lead is 9.5 assists per game, while the second-best average in DII is 7.4 (Lydia Haack, Concordia-St. Paul).
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and would also rank first in DI with an average of 28.6 points per game. Only Alexa Charles of DIII school Hunter with 32.7 points per game averages more points per game across all NCAA Divisions.
- Loewe's 14 assists in a game, a feat she accomplished twice in five days, are the most in a game by a DII athlete this season.
- Loewe has five games with 10-plus assists, the most of any DII athlete. In fact, only one other DII student-athlete has had multiple 10-plus assist games this season (CSP's Lydia Haack - 4).
- Ellie Stearns ranks third in the conference with 2.11 3-pointers made per game.
- Weeter ranks second in the MIAA in rebounds (9.2 per game) and fourth in the MIAA in field goal percentage (48.7 percent).
- Olivia Mortensen ranks second in the league with a shooting percentage of 50.0 percent.
- Loewe ranks fifth in the MIAA with an average of 2.0 steals per game.
 
Fresh Start
- Olivia Mortensen is the 14th true freshman to start a season opener for the Tigers during the DII era (since 1991-92) and the first since Ellie Stearns in 2022.
 
MIAA Athlete of the Week x 3
- Talexa Weeter earned two of the first three and three of the first five MIAA Athlete of the Week awards this season.
- The junior averaged 32.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor in the first two games of the season.
- The Goodland, Kan. native then averaged 33.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in the two wins in Denver last week.
- Weeter then totaled 32 points and 13 rebounds in a blowout win over No. 6 Pittsburg State.
 
Last Time Out
- The No. 8 Tigers raced out to a 20-2 lead against No. 6 Pittsburg State and never looked back, winning the top-10 battle 88-70 on Saturday (Dec. 13) in Hays.
- Brooke Loewe totaled 13 assists in the win, helping the senior break the school record with 480 career assists.
- Talexa Weeter led all players with 32 points while adding 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
- FHSU hit 47.9 percent (35-of-73) from the floor, including an incredible 60.5 percent (23-of-38) before halftime.
 
Scouting the Bluejays
- Tabor has already played 13 games this season, compiling an overall record of 6-7 and a 4-3 mark in KCAC play.
- The Bluejays are averaging 58.9 points per game while knocking down 39.6 percent from the floor.
- Guard Lillie Veer leads the team with 11.7 points per game.
- Center Tayton Smith is averaging a double-double with 10.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
 
Series History with Tabor
- Fort Hays State has never lost against Tabor, winning all 24 meetings dating back to the 1971-72 season.
- 20 of those 24 meeting have been played in Hays.
- The Tigers are 2-0 against TC during the Talia Kahrs era.
 
Last Meeting with the Bluejays
- The No. 12 Tigers never trailed in a 93-39 thumping against Tabor last November (11/26/24) in Hays.
- The Tigers dished out 32 assists on 40 made baskets, their most in a game in five years.
- FHSU hit 56.3 percent from the floor.
- Talexa Weeter hit 10-of-15 from the floor, totaling 25 points to set a career high (at the time) for a third-straight game.
- Olivia Hollenbeck added 24 points, giving FHSU multiple players with over 20 points for the first time in two years.
 
Career Stats vs. Tabor
- Talexa Weeter - 14.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.5 apg in 2 games - 1 game with 25 points
- Ellie Stearns - 5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.3 apg in 3 games
- Brooke Loewe - 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 6.0 apg in 3 games - 1 game with 10 assists
 
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will wrap up their non-conference schedule on Friday, December 19 when they host Chadron State beginning at 5:30 p.m. FHSU will then return to conference action when it hosts Northwest Missouri State on New Year's Day beginning at 5:30 p.m.