#7 Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (22-2, 13-2 MIAA)
vs. Newman (7-17, 1-14 MIAA)
Saturday, February 14, 2026 • 2 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Cancer Council of Ellis County
National Anthem: Brent & Ginger Williams
Promotions: Senior Day, Wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness, Seniors 55+ get tickets for just $5

The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will host the Newman Jets on Saturday (Feb. 14) beginning at 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers will honor Sarah Lawless, Brooke Loewe and Ellie Stearns before the game for Senior Day.

With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Tigers (22-2, 13-2 MIAA) sit a half-game up on second place in the MIAA standings. Central Missouri enters the weekend 18-5 overall and 12-2 in the MIAA, while Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern are one game behind the Jennies at 11-3 in league action.

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 are averaging 2,206 fans per game at home this season, tops in Division II. That average would be tied with DePaul for 76th in Division I and is more than three Big 12 schools (Cincinnati, UCF, Houston).
- 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.
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.7 points per game. For reference, the MIAA record for single season scoring average is 25.4 ppg (Melissa Grider, MSSU, 1995-96).
- Brooke Loewe averages 10.3 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 women's basketball.
- Now with a school-record 247 assists, Loewe needs just 24 assists to break the MIAA record for assists in a season (271, Jennifer Perine, ESU, 1998-99).
- 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.
- Loewe put together FHSU's first triple-double since 2014 on Thursday, totaling 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
 
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
- The Tigers lead Division II in assists per game (19.8 apg).
- FHSU leads the MIAA and ranks second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.295), fourth in field goal percentage (47.2 percent), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (31.0 drpg), fifth in fewest fouls per game (12.8 fpg), sixth in winning percentage (91.7 percent), 17th in 3-point percentage (34.8 percent), 21st in scoring offense (75.9 ppg), 25th in scoring margin (plus-13.8) and 36th in field goal percentage (36.1 percent).
- While the Tigers are first in the country in defensive rebounding, FHSU is last in the MIAA in offensive rebounding (9.3 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 27.7 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 (8.8 per game) and second in the MIAA in field goal percentage (52.2 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).
 
30 Point Performances
- Talexa Weeter eclipsed the 30-point plateau for the 10th time in her career against Emporia State.
- She is the second Tiger with 10 or more 30-point games (Annette Wiles, 14).
 
Triple Trouble
- Brooke Loewe totaled 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the win over Emporia State, putting together the first Tiger triple-double since 2014 (Kate Lehman - 31p, 10r, 11b vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 12/16/14).
- She is the third FHSU player in FHSU's DII history to record a triple-double (Kate Lehman 3, Amy Scoby).
 
Last Time Out
- The No. 7 Tigers used a late run to pull away from Emporia State on Thursday (Feb. 12), winning 69-56.
- FHSU built an early nine-point lead before the lead changed hands eight times. ESU led as late as the 1:32 mark in the third.
- Brooke Loewe totaled 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for the first Tiger triple-double since 2014 (Kate Lehman).
- Talexa Weeter added 31 points and 12 rebounds, giving FHSU a pair of double-doubles in a game for the first time this season.
- Mikayla Pilley scored a career-high 12 points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Scouting the Jets
- Newman has lost 13 in a row, with its last win coming on December 18 at Rockhurst (69-51).
- The Jets are tied for first in the MIAA with an average of 7.7 made 3-pointers per game.
- Jaeden McMillin leads the Jets and ranks fifth in the MIAA with an average of 15.6 points per game, but the junior has not played in the last three games due to injury.
 
Series History with Newman
- Fort Hays State is 27-1 all-time against Newman.
- The Tigers have won 17 in a row, the longest winning streak in series history.
- FHSU is a perfect 15-0 at home against the Jets
- The Tigers are 3-0 against NU under head coach Talia Kahrs, including a 1-0 mark at home.
- FHSU is 11-0 against the Jets in regular season MIAA matchups
- The teams have never played in overtime.
 
Last Meeting with the Jets
- The 7th-ranked Tigers used a dominant 2nd half to pull away from Newman on the road last season (2/15/25), winning 77-36.
- After scoring 28 before halftime, FHSU scored 28 in the third quarter while outscoring the Jets 49-21 in the second half.
- Talexa Weeter led the team with 17 points off the bench, while Katie DeGarmo contributed her second-straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Career Stats vs. NU
- Talexa Weeter - 7.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.0 apg in three games, including one game with 10+ points
- Brooke Loewe - 5.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 apg in four games, including one game with 10+ points
- Ellie Stearns - 5.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.2 apg in five games, including one with 10+ points
 
On This Date
- The Tigers are 8-3 in recorded history on February 14, most recently defeating Lindenwood at home in 2019, 77-52.
- The Tigers were ranked fourth in the country, while the Lions were ranked No. 25 at the time.
- FHSU hit a season-high 53.6 percent from the floor in the win, including a 65.4 percent effort in the second half.
 
Class of the Conference
- Since joining the MIAA in 2006-07 (20 seasons), the Tigers lead the league with 433 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 133 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 2,206 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 will hit the road for their final regular season road trip starting Thursday, February 19 when they take on Missouri Southern beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Joplin, Missouri.