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Tiger women bounce back with win at home
1/8/2012
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
In the first 15 games, the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team has had two contests when it allowed an opponent to shoot better than 46 percent. Opponents have outrebounded FHSU in three games, but just once by more than five rebounds.
On Dec. 7, Washburn University beat FHSU by seven, shot 47.3 percent from the field and outrebounded the Tigers by 18. On Wednesday, Fort Hays lost by 10 at University of Central Missouri, and allowed the Jennies to shoot 47 percent.
On Saturday, Fort Hays didn't have the best offensive performance, but defense and rebounding helped the Tigers earn a 64-55 victory against Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
"Defense and rebounding, we are going to be in it," coach Tony Hobson said. "In this league, you just have to have that."
FHSU held a 41-30 edge on the glass, held SBU without an offensive rebound in the first half and outscored the Bearcats 13-2 in second chance points.
Fort Hays, receiving votes in the national poll, moved to 13-2, 5-2 in the MIAA, and has already picked up one more victory than it did all last season. SBU dropped to 5-8, 1-7 MIAA under first-year coach Todd Voss. FHSU has now defeated the Bearcats in Hays five straight times.
"Getting a loss at Central, it was just like the fuel that we needed to play really hard this game," sophomore Katelyn Edwards said. "Because we know that Baptist's record isn't that good, but every team in our conference is a good team and we knew are going to have to come out and play a lot better than we did last Wednesday."
FHSU shot 38 percent from the field, but had 18 more free throws than SBU. Four players scored in double figures, including a team-high 15 points and five rebounds from junior Traci Keyser.
Since the loss to Washburn, FHSU has outrebounded seven straight teams -- all but one by double digits.
"I thought we were ready to play and we guarded for the most part very well, especially in transition and then we just dominated the boards again," Hobson said.
The contest marked a rematch between Hobson and Voss, two successful coaches at the NAIA ranks in Nebraska. Hobson won three national titles in seven seasons at Hastings College, while Voss went 108-32 with two Final Four appearances at Concordia University. One year, Voss and Hobson met up when the teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country -- and then again in the Final Four.
"I was happy for him when (SBU) hired him, but then I was kind of unhappy, because he will get it turned around," Hobson said. "He is a good coach, really knows what he is doing."
On Saturday, though, Hobson picked up the victory. FHSU led almost the entire game, was up 36-23 at halftime, and held a 21-point advantage with 5:10 remaining. Senior LaKendra Smith led SBU with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Edwards, the Tigers' leading scorer and rebounder, was sick on last week's road trip. She was healthier Saturday and finished with 10 points and two rebounds.
"I am fine now," Edwards said. "(Doctor) said it was either a virus or a bacterial infection. I was already on medicine, so he just said keep taking it."
FHSU will play host to Missouri Southern State University on Monday at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |