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Tiger women look to make second-half run
1/20/2012
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Through the first half of conference play, the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team has established itself as the program's top squad since the school switched to the MIAA five and half years ago.
The Tigers are 14-4, 6-4 MIAA and tied for fourth place. Their losses, all close, have come against squads either tied with, or above them in the standings.
However, the next six weeks will likely determine how FHSU's season is viewed long-term. A big second half could propel Fort Hays into the NCAA Division II tournament, and produce one of the top seasons in Tiger women's basketball history.
"We can make of this whatever we want to," fourth-year coach Tony Hobson said.
With 10 regular season contests left, Hobson believes Fort Hays will likely have to go 7-3 or 8-2 to reach the tournament, and collect a top three or four finish in the MIAA. Freshman center Kate Lehman and her teammates have thought about the possibilities for a Tiger team that has resided on the cusp of the national rankings all year.
"My goal is to go 10-0 the next couple of weeks," Lehman said. "I know the whole team has that goal."
The Tigers open the second half of conference play with a home game Saturday against Lincoln (Mo.) University (10-6, 4-6 MIAA). Start time is 2 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
FHSU has lost two in a row, both on the road to nationally ranked squads.
"I told our kids, 'There is nothing wrong with our team, we are playing some people on the road and we are playing them tough,' " Hobson said.
FHSU last made the NCAA tournament in 2004-05 when the Tigers went 22-8 and lost in the first round of the North Central Regional. Since the Tigers joined the MIAA in 2006-07, 15 different conference teams have made the tournament.
In 2006-07 and '07-08, four teams reached the NCAA tournament, though '06-07 was the only time the top-four teams qualified. (In '07-08, Northwest Missouri finished fifth in the regular season but pulled an upset and won the conference tournament to receive the automatic bid).
In the last three seasons, two teams have reached the tournament twice and three teams qualified once. Usually 20-21 wins is enough to qualify, but in 2008-09, Pittsburg State University didn't make the field despite finishing 20-9.
This year, though, it's possible for the MIAA to qualify four into the tournament. In Division II, the NCAA tournament is broken down into eight eight-team regionals. The MIAA is part of a regional mainly made up of the Lone Star and Heartland conferences. Each of those leagues will receive one automatic bid.
Regional rankings haven't been released yet, but using the national poll as a guide, Fort Hays has positioned itself well for a berth. Just five regional teams, including three MIAA squads (Emporia State, Pittsburg State and Washburn) are ranked higher.
In the second half of conference play, FHSU will have a road game at Washburn, but will have University of Central Missouri, Pittsburg State and Emporia State at home.
Those are the four squads that have already beaten the Tigers.
Two years ago, Fort Hays, mainly because of 3-point shooting, also had a strong start, but fell back in the second half of conference play and finished seventh in the league.
That's not expected to happen to the Tigers this winter, a team built on rebounding, reaching the foul line and a strong inside game fueled by Lehman and sophomore Katelyn Edwards.
"We have more talent on this year's team and I think we all kind of mesh well together better than past teams," senior Kimber Weiser, the squad's longest-tenured player, said. "We have always gotten along with each other, but this team is really close and really talented. I think we are just an all-around put together team. A couple of years ago, if we had a couple of bad games, it got to us. I think we are a lot more mentally tough this year than we have been in past."
Edwards leads the Tigers with 14.6 points and 7.9 rebounds, while Lehman has averaged 14.8 points, 11 rebounds and 4.2 blocks a contest in the last six games. Lehman has four double-doubles in that span, including three in a row.
That includes big games against Pittsburg State's Larissa Richards and Emporia State's Merissa Quick in the last week, contests that provided her with more confidence.
"It's doesn't get much harder," Lehman said.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |