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Tiger women winning with rebounds
1/11/2008
By CONOR NICHOLL
Hays Daily News
The Fort Hays State University women's basketball team has one constant in all but one of their victories. The Tigers, 7-5 this year, are 6-1 when they outrebound the other team and are 1-4 when they don't.
The Tigers' only contest where they outrebounded their opponent and lost was a 66-60 overtime loss to Oklahoma Panhandle State on Dec. 1.
On Wednesday, Fort Hays defeated Truman State, 10-1 and receiving votes in the latest Div. II poll, partly because of rebounding. The Bulldogs entered the game fourth in the conference and 59th in Div. II in rebounding margin at 4.8 per game.
However, Fort Hays, smaller than Truman State at several positions, outrebounded the Bulldogs 43-27, including 19-6 on the offensive glass. Senior Sheena Kuntzsch pulled down 10 rebounds, her second double digit rebounding game this season.
Fort Hays rebounded well on the weak side, off loose balls and on long caroms off missed 3-pointers -- rebounds that are result of aggressiveness instead of height.
"No question that rebounding is hustle," head coach Annette Wiles said. "We talked about it over and over again. It is hustle and heart. Rebounding has nothing to do with size.
"It has everything to do with the desire and heart of the player that wants to get a hand on the ball. That is what we talked about, trying to get as many touches on the ball as we possibly could," she added.
Fort Hays, eighth in the conference in rebounding margin (plus-1.6), will play Southwest Baptist on Saturday afternoon in Bolivar, Mo. SBU, 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference, is sixth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association with plus-1.9 rebounding margin this season.
Needing road wins
Fort Hays will play their fourth road game this season against SBU on Saturday. The Tigers are 0-3 on the road this year and have lost their last four road games dating back to last season.
The Tigers only have one road conference win in their two years in the MIAA. That was their second road game last season, a 69-65 win at Truman State on Jan. 3, 2007.
"You realize that this conference is difficult to go out and try and find wins on the road so you better protect our home court," Wiles said. "Southwest Baptist is a team to be reckoned with, especially on their home floor."
Southwest Baptist history
The women are 0-2 lifetime against Southwest Baptist. Both meetings came in Fort Hays' first year in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. SBU defeated the Tigers 85-86 in Hays and 71-54 on the road. ... The men are 1-2 lifetime against SBU, including a 74-64 victory at Bolivar last season.
Sports Reporter Conor Nicholl can be reached at (785) 628-1081 Ext. 127 or at cnicholl@dailynews.net.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | W 17-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | L 4-3 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 15-7 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 5-4 |
| SB | 5/02 | Central Missouri | L 3-1 |
| SB | 5/02 | Missouri Western | W 3-2 |
| SB | 5/01 | Pittsburg State | W 6-0 |
| SB | 5/01 | Emporia State | L 11-0 |
| BB | 4/30 | Kansas Wesleyan | W 14-1 |
| BB | 4/30 | Kansas Wesleyan | W 12-2 |
