2026 MIAA Championship - Quarterfinals
#11 (2-seed) Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (24-4)
vs. (7-seed) Missouri Western (14-15)
Thursday, March 5, 2026 • 2:15 p.m.
Kansas City, Mo. • Municipal Auditorium
FHSU Alumni Pregame Pep Rally at Johnny's Tavern (1310 Grand Blvd.) - Noon-1:30 p.m.
 
The 11th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens postseason competition on Thursday (March 5) against Missouri Western in the MIAA Championship quarterfinals. First tip is slated for 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
 
The Tigers (24-4) are playing as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, while the Griffons (14-15) are seeded seventh. The winner of Thursday's quarterfinal will take on either No. 3 Washburn or No. 6 Pittsburg State in the semifinals on Saturday at 2:15 p.m.
 
Quick Hits
- Talexa Weeter was named MIAA Player of the Year while joining Brooke Loewe on the All-MIAA first team. Olivia Mortensen was a third team all-conference pick, one of two freshmen on the first, second or third teams.
- Now with a Division II-best 763 points this season, Talexa Weeter is 34 points away from tying the MIAA record for points in a season (797, Jennifer Harris, Washburn, 2005-06).
- Weeter is just the fifth player in MIAA history and the second at FHSU to score 700 points in a season. It is the first-such campaign by an MIAA athlete in 20 years.
- Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women spanning all divisions, with an MIAA-record 285 assists this season, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record (271, Jennifer Perine, ESU, 1998-99).
- Loewe's 285 assists are 15th-most in a single season in NCAA Division II history.
- After recording the first FHSU triple-double in 4,076 days two weeks ago against ESU, Loewe needed just nine days to record another one, tallying 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the overtime win over PSU. She is one of three DII players and one of eight across all NCAA women's basketball with multiple triple-doubles.
- The Tigers are 13-1 coming off a loss under head coach Talia Kahrs, losing back-to-back games only once (at MWSU and NWMSU, 2/1-3/24).
- FHSU has played in each of the last eight MIAA semifinals.
- Talexa Weeter averages 24.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg in the MIAA tournament and 20.4 ppg in five games against MWSU.
 
MIAA Championship Tournament Notables
- The Tigers have reached the finals in six of the last eight tournaments, three more than any other school during that span (UCM 3, MSSU 2, PSU 2, ESU 1, LWU 1, UNK 1).
- Fort Hays State has played in the title game seven times since joining the league 20 years ago, second-most over that span (ESU 9, FHSU 7, UCM 6, WU 4, PSU 3, MSSU 2, NWMSU 2, LWU 1, MWSU 1, SBU 1, UCO 1, UNK 1).
- The Tigers have played in the semifinals each of the last eight years, the longest active run in the conference. That is the second-longest semifinal appearance streak in the conference since FHSU joined in 2006-07 (9-ESU 2009-17).
- FHSU has reached 12 of the last 13 semis, five more than any other school during that span (ESU 7, UCM 7, MWSU 5, PSU 5, UNK 4, WU 4, LWU 3, MSSU 2, NWMSU 1, SBU 1, UCO 1).
- No school has reached the semifinals more than the Tigers (12) since FHSU joined the MIAA 20 years ago (tied with ESU).
- FHSU is 24-14 all-time in the MIAA tournament
- The Tigers are 19-13 in tournament games played inside Municipal Auditorium
- FHSU is 12-4 in the quarterfinals
- The Tigers are 2-1 against Nebraska-Kearney and 3-0 against Missouri Western
- FHSU is 5-1 when playing as the No. 2 seed
- The Tigers are 2-0 when playing the No. 7 seed and have never played the No. 10 seed
- FHSU is 13-4 when ranked and playing in the tournament
- Talexa Weeter's 35 points in the 2025 quarterfinals against Central Missouri are the most by a Tiger in tournament history, fourth-most in a single game in tournament history and the most by a non-starter in tournament history.
- Weeter was just the second non-starter to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team last season.
- Talia Kahrs is one of seven coaches to lead a team in the MIAA Championship Tournament while also participating in the tournament as a player.
- Former head coach Tony Hobson is tied for third in tournament history with 20 wins.
 
Trio Named All-MIAA; Weeter POY
- The MIAA coaches named Talexa Weeter the 2025-26 MIAA Player of the Year.
- Weeter was joined on the All-MIAA first team by Brooke Loewe, with Olivia Mortensen earning third team honors.
- Mortensen is one of two freshmen to earn a spot on the first, second or third teams and is the first Tiger to do so since Kate Lehman (2011-12).
- The MIAA Player of the Year has been a Tiger each of the last three seasons, the first time one school has had three-straight league MVPs since 2008-10 (Emporia State).
- Fort Hays State has had five MIAA Players of the Year since joining the league 20 years ago, tied for the most by any school during that span (ESU).
- The Tigers have two first-team selections for the second year in a row and the seventh time in team history.
 
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 but in danger of losing streak this season) and Louisville (16), while FHSU is tied with South Carolina and South Dakota St.
 
National/MIAA Rankings
- The Tigers lead the nation with 19.1 assists per game while ranking third nationally with 31.0 defensive rebounds per game and fifth with a field goal percentage of 46.6 percent.
- While the Tigers are first in the country in defensive rebounding, FHSU is last in the MIAA in offensive rebounding (9.5 per game). Overall the Tigers rank fourth in the league with an average of 40.5 rebounds per night.
- Talexa Weeter leads Division II and ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.3 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).
- Weeter's 45 points against Northwest Missouri State are tied for second-most by a DII athlete this season.
- Weeter ranks third in the MIAA in rebounds (8.8 per game) and second in the MIAA in field goal percentage (51.8 percent).
- Olivia Mortensen ranks third in the conference with a field goal percentage of 49.2 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).
 
700 Points in a Season
- Talexa Weeter surpassed the 700-point plateau in the first quarter against Missouri Southern.
- She is the second player at FHSU and the fifth in MIAA history to reach that milestone. Weeter is the first to do so in the MIAA in 20 years and the first at FHSU since Annette Wiles during FHSU's NAIA championship run in 1990-91.
 
30 Point Performances
- Talexa Weeter eclipsed the 30-point plateau for the 11th time this season and the 12th time in her career at Pittsburg State.
- She is the second Tiger with 10 or more 30-point games (Annette Wiles, 14).
 
Triple Trouble
- Brooke Loewe is one of three NCAA Division II athletes and one of eight across all levels of NCAA women's basketball with multiple triple-doubles this season.
- 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).
- After recording the first FHSU triple-double in 4,076 days against ESU, Loewe needed just nine days to duplicate that effort, totaling 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the come-from-behind win over Pittsburg State on Saturday.
- She is the third FHSU player in FHSU's DII history to record a triple-double and the second to do so multiple times (Kate Lehman 3, Amy Scoby).
 
Dropping Dimes
- Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women, all divisions, with 285 assists, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record.
- With an average of 10.2 assists per game, the Huxley, Iowa native is the only player in all divisions averaging in double figures.
- Her 285 assists this season are 15th-most in a single season in NCAA Division II history.
- She needs 41 assists to tie the NCAA Division II record for assists in a season (326, Kailee Howe, West Liberty, 2015-16).
- After tying the school record with 13 assists in a game last season, Brooke has tallied 14 or more assists six times this season. Only three other players in Division II have done so once.
- Should Loewe reach 300 assists this season, she would be the sixth player in DII history and just the 25th player in the history of NCAA women's basketball to do so.
- Should she finish the season averaging in double figures, it would be just the sixth time a DII athlete accomplished that feat and she would be just the fourth individual to do so (Selina Bynum of Albany State did so three times in 1990-93).
 
Last Time Out
- The No. 8 Tigers dropped their regular season finale, losing to Nebraska-Kearney 73-63 last Thursday (2/26/26).
- The Tigers trailed by as many as 14 before rallying to take the lead late in the third quarter.
- The Lopers outscored the Tigers 30-19 in the fourth quarter to take the win, the highest scoring quarter allowed by FHSU this season.
- Talexa Weeter led the way with 15 points, with Kaitlin Schumann matching her season-high with 12 points off the bench.
 
Series History with Missouri Western
- Fort Hays State is 37-29 all-time against Missouri Western.
- FHSU leads 3-2 in neutral site meetings, including wins in each of the last three neutral contests.
- FHSU holds a three game winning streak in the series overall.
- The Tigers are 3-4 against MWSU under head coach Talia Kahrs, making the Griffons one of two teams to hold a winning record against the third-year head coach (Southwest Minnesota State - 1-0).
- Fort Hays State is a perfect 3-0 against the Griffons in the MIAA Championship tournament.
- The teams are tied 2-2 in overtime contests.
 
Last Meeting with the Griffons
- The No. 6 Tigers built a big first half lead before holding on down the stretch to defeat Missouri Western earlier this season (Jan. 15), winning 66-60.
- FHSU led by as many as 19 before the Griffons pulled within one possession twice in the fourth quarter, including making it a one-point game with 63 seconds remaining.
- The Tigers hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line down the stretch and made two defensive stops to clinch the win.
- Talexa Weeter led all scorers with 33 points, the eighth 30-point game of her career.
- The Tigers collected a season-low five offensive rebounds but grabbed a season-high (at the time, now third highest) 38 defensive rebounds.
 
On This Date
- The Tigers are 3-4 in recorded history on March 5, most recently defeating Nebraska-Kearney in the 2022 MIAA Semifinals, 56-46.
- FHSU is 2-1 in the MIAA Championship Tournament on this date, beating Lincoln in 2013 and losing to Pittsburg State in 2016.
 
Class of the Conference
Since joining the MIAA in 2006-07 (20 seasons), the Tigers lead the league with 435 wins. They have averaged close to 22 wins per season during that time.
 
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 eight such awards this season, with only one school picking up multiple honors.
- 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.
 
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).
 
Nationally Recognized
- The Tigers are ranked 11th 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.
- 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 135 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.
 
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.
 
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 2,349 fans per game.
- That would rank 72nd in Division I, higher than three Big 12 schools (Cincinnati, UCF, Houston), two Big 10 schools (Penn State, Northwestern) and one SEC school (Florida).
- Three of the top five attended games this season in Division II and six of the top 11 have been played inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
- 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 winner of Thursday's quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals on Saturday, March 7 to take on either No. 3 Washburn or No. 6 Pittsburg State beginning at 2:15 p.m.