#7 Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (21-2, 12-2 MIAA)
vs. Emporia State (12-11, 6-8 MIAA)
Friday, February 12, 2026 • 5:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Buff Car Wash
National Anthem: Roosevelt Elementary
 
The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team returns home this week starting Thursday (Feb. 12) when the Tigers host Emporia State. First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

With five games remaining in the regular season, Fort Hays State (21-2, 12-2 MIAA) hold a half-game lead over second place in the MIAA standings, while the Lady Hornets (12-11, 6-8 MIAA) are one game clear of 10th.
 
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
- The Tigers have won seven in a row against Emporia State, FHSU's longest winning streak in series history.
- Mikayla Pilley (11 points) and Kaitlin Schumann (12 points) both scored career-highs in the game at ESU last month.
- Fort Hays State has now won 20 or more games in 15-straight seasons, extending the longest active streak in Division II. It is fifth-longest across all NCAA Divisions behind only UConn, Baylor, Florida Gulf Coast & Louisville.
- Ellie Stearns hit five 3-pointers in the win at UAFS, giving the senior 128 for her career to tie for 10th at FHSU (Taylor Rolfs).
- Talexa Weeter is 26th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She needed 62 games to reach that threshold, second-fastest in team history (Annette Wiles - 57 gms, Shauna Porter - 65 gms).
- Weeter leads Division II and ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.5 ppg,
- Brooke Loewe averages 103 assists per game and is the only NCAA athlete, male or female spanning all divisions, currently averaging in double figures in assists. Her 17 assists at UNK are the most across all divisions of NCAA WBB.
- Loewe leads the nation with 236 assists this season, breaking her own school record of 233 set last season.
- FHSU has claimed seven of the 12 MIAA Player of the Week honors given out this season, including five for Talexa Weeter and two for Brooke Loewe. No other school or individual has more than one.
 
20 Wins Now the Norm
- Fort Hays State has reached the 20-win plateau for a 15th-consecutive season, extending the longest active streak of 20-win seasons in Division II. FHSU's streak is tied for the fifth-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 four DI programs have longer active stretches of 20-win seasons, including UConn (33), Baylor (26), Florida Gulf Coast (21) Louisville (16), while FHSU is tied with South Carolina (15).
 
National/MIAA Rankings
- Fort Hays State leads all Division II in assists (19.7 apg) while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (47.5 percent), fourth in defensive rebounds per game (31.2 drpg), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.27), sixth in fewest fouls per game (13.0 fpg), sixth in winning percentage (91.3 percent), 15th in 3-point percentage (35.4 percent), 19th in scoring offense (76.2 ppg), 25th in scoring margin (plus-13.9) and 30th in field goal percentage defense (36.0 percent).
- The Tigers also lead the MIAA in each of the aforementioned categories.
- While the Tigers are first in the country in defensive rebounding, FHSU is last in the MIAA in offensive rebounding (9.2 per game). Overall the Tigers rank fourth in the league with an average of 40.4 rebounds per night.
- Brooke Loewe's 10.3 assists per game are the most across all NCAA divisions. In fact, she is the only NCAA student-athlete, male or female, currently averaging in double figures in assists.
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.5 points per game.
- Loewe's 17 assists against Nebraska-Kearney are the most in a game across all NCAA divisions of women's basketball this season and second-most across all divisions including men's basketball (Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Quion Williams had 18 assists vs. Champion Christian).
- Loewe has recorded 14 or more assists six times this season. Only two other DII athlete have done so once (Brielle Minor - Cal Poly Pomona, Micaela Hanning - Vanguard).
- Weeter's 45 points against Northwest Missouri State are tied for second-most by a DII athlete this season.
- Weeter ranks fourth in the MIAA in rebounds (8.6 per game) and second in the MIAA in field goal percentage (52.1 percent).
- Olivia Mortensen ranks third in the MIAA with a field goal percentage of 49.4 percent.
 
1K Magic
- Talexa Weeter surpassed the 1,000-point plateau in the first quarter against Rogers State earlier this season (Jan. 23).
- She is the 26th player in program to hit that milestone.
- The Goodland, Kan. native needed only 62 games to reach that threshold, second-fastest in team history (Annette Wiles 57 games, Shauna Porter 65 games).
 
Last Time Out
- The No. 8 Tigers rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Arkansas-Fort Smith on the road on Saturday (2/7/26), winning 73-68.
- Ellie Stearns hit five 3-pointers in the win, one off her season high.
- Talexa Weeter scored a game-high 29 points while blocking two shots.
- The Tigers were outshot for just the third time this season, 42.1 percent to 41.7 percent.
 
Scouting the Lady Hornets
- Emporia State is 12-11 this season, however the Lady Hornets are just 3-6 in true road games.
- The Lady Hornets commit the most fouls in the conference, averaging 19.4 per game. That ranks 253rd out of 290 DII teams.
- Kaitlyn Sanders ranks fourth in the MIAA with an average of 15.8 points per game, while Gracie Gilpin paces the conference with 52 made 3-pointers on the year.
 
Series History with Emporia State
- Emporia State leads the all-time series, 52-42.
- The Tigers have won seven in a row, their longest winning streak in series history.
- FHSU is 24-20 at home against the Lady Hornets, including wins in each of the last three and eight of the last nine at home.
- The Tigers are 4-0 against ESU under head coach Talia Kahrs, including a 2-0 mark at home.
- The Lady Hornets are 19-14 against FHSU in regular season MIAA matchups. They are one of two teams with a winning
record over the Tigers in such contests (PSU - 16-15).
- The Tigers are 1-2 against ESU in overtime meetings, with the last matchup going to overtime in 1988.
 
Last Meeting with the Lady Hornets
- The No. 6 Tigers bounced back from a slow start to defeat the Lady Hornets on the road last month (Jan. 8), winning 82-64.
- The Tigers trailed by seven in the first quarter before hitting their first eight shots in the second quarter to take the lead for good.
- Five Tigers scored in double figures for the first time this season, led by 23 from Talexa Weeter. Kaitlin Schumann scored 12 points, all in the fourth quarter.
 
Career Stats vs. ESU
- Talexa Weeter - 15.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 apg in three games, including two games with 20+ points
- Olivia Mortensen - 12 ppg, 7 rpg, 0 apg in one game, including one game with 10+ points
- Kaitlin Schumann - 12 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 apg in one game, including one game with 10+ points
- Mikayla Pilley - 11 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg in one game, including one game with 10+ points
- Brooke Loewe - 4.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 7.6 apg in five games, including two games with 10+ assists and one with 10+ points
- Ellie Stearns - 4.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 apg in five games, including one with 10+ points
- Avery Lowe - 2.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg in three games
 
On This Date
- The Tigers are 8-7 in recorded history on February 12, most recently defeating Northeastern State at home in 2022.
- The win came on a Saturday, five days after FHSU lost at NSU on the previous Monday.
- That win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Tigers on this date. Before 2022 the last FHSU win on Feb. 12 was all the way back in 2005 against Colorado Christian.
 
Class of the Conference
Since joining the MIAA in 2006-07 (20 seasons), the Tigers lead the league with 432 wins. They have averaged more than 21 wins per season during that time.
 
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 7
- Fort Hays State has earned seven MIAA Athlete of the Week honors this season, including five for Talexa Weeter and two for Brooke Loewe. The entire rest of the league has a combined five such awards this season, with no other program earning more than one.
- Weeter's five weekly honors are the most by a player in the league since Brooke Littrell in 2022-23 and are the most for a Tiger since Kate Lehman had seven in 2014-15.
- Weeter 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 before Thanksgiving.
- Weeter totaled 32 points and 13 rebounds in a blowout win over No. 6 Pittsburg State.
- She erupted for an average of 37 points and 12 rebounds with a pair of double-doubles against Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western, including a career-high 45 points against the Bearcats that is one off the program record and is tied for the most points scored by a DII athlete this season.
- Loewe earned the award on January 13 after breaking the school record with 17 assists at Nebraska-Kearney and following that up with 15 assists against Northwest Missouri State. Both totals are more than any other DII athlete this season, while her 17 assists are the most across all NCAA divisions this season and are the most by a DII athlete since 2023. She averaged a double-double for the week with 10.0 points and 16.0 assists.
- Weeter collected her fifth honor of the season on January 26 after averaging 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in wins over Rogers State and Central Oklahoma. She surpassed 1,000 career points in the win over the Hillcats.
- Loewe picked up her second weekly recognition after averaging a double-double (12.0 ppg, 11.0 apg) in road wins at Northeastern State and Arkansas-Fort Smith. She totaled 14 points and 14 assists in the win over NSU, surpassing 14 assists for the sixth time this season.
 
Road Warriors
- Fort Hays State played its first home game of the season on December 13 after starting the season with eight straight away from home.
- It was the latest home opener for the team on record (since at least 1973). The previous latest date for the Tigers to play their first home game is December 10, 1975 when FHSU lost to Northwestern Oklahoma State, 75-45.
 
First Time at Home
- The Tigers are 30-5 in home openers during the NCAA DII era, including 18-straight wins from 2004 to 2021 before the Tigers lost on a buzzer beater to Minnesota State in the 2022 home opener.
 
Nationally Recognized
- The Tigers are ranked seventh in this week's WBCA Coaches Poll.
- FHSU has been ranked as high as No. 3 this year after opening the year ninth in the coaches poll.
- The Tigers are one of four teams that have been ranked inside the top 10 of every weekly release this season.
- This is the seventh time the Tigers have been ranked in the preseason. FHSU also opened the 2024-25 ranked 23rd, the 2022-23 season ranked third, the 2021-22 season ranked fourth, the 2019-20 season ranked seventh, the 2018-19 season ranked 12th and the 2015-16 season ranked 10th.
- Fort Hays State has been ranked inside the top 25 in 122 different weekly releases from the WBCA.
- This is the eighth-straight season the Tigers have been ranked at some point and the 13th-such season all-time.
- Including the 2017-18 season (multiple weeks receiving votes), the Tigers have been mentioned in the polls at least once in each of the last 13 seasons.
 
18 and Over
The Tigers have finished a season with at least 18 MIAA wins five times since joining the league in 2006-07, more than any other school during that span (UCM 4, MWSU 3, UNK 2, MSSU 1, NWMSU 1, PSU 1, WU 1).
 
Double-Digit Winning Streaks
- FHSU's season-long winning streak of 12 games is the 17th double-digit streak in team history and is tied for seventh-longest in team history.
- Fort Hays State had multiple unique 10-game winning streaks in a season three times, in 1990-91, 2018-19 and 2024-25.
 
Making it a Habit
After reaching the NCAA Tournament once in its first 23 years in the Association, Fort Hays State has now been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship nine times over the last 11 seasons.
 
The Big 3-0
Fort Hays State reached the 30-win plateau for the fourth time in program history in 2021-22. FHSU has three 30-win seasons since 2014-15, while the rest of the MIAA has two 30-win campaign combined during that span (UCM 2017-18, PSU 2024-25).
 
Trophy SZN
The Tigers won their fourth regular season MIAA championship and their second MIAA postseason tournament championship in 2021-22. FHSU now has 11 regular season conference titles all-time and three conference tournament titles. No school has won more MIAA regular season titles since FHSU joined the league in 2006-07 (FHSU 4, WU 4, UCM 3, MWSU 3, ESU 2, PSU 2, NWMSU 1, MSSU 1, UNK 1).
 
Century Mark
FHSU has 25 100-point outings in its illustrious history, most recently a 100-59 win over Rogers State (2/20/20), which was the first time FHSU scored 100 points against a Division II opponent since 2013 (114-86 vs Newman, 1/26/13).
 
Home Sweet Home
- Fort Hays State is leading Division II with an average attendance of 2,096 fans per game.
- The 3,065 fans in attendance of the Washburn game are second-most in a DII game this season, while the crowd of 2,975 two days later against Central Missouri ranks third.
- The Tigers led Division II with an average attendance of 2,084 per home contest last season. That total would rank 84th in DI and was more than 282 DI programs.
 
Looking Ahead
The Tigers wrap up the weekend by hosting Newman on Saturday, February 14 inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Valentine's Day clash is slated to begin at 2 p.m.