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Hornets down Tiger women in second half
1/21/2010
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
EMPORIA --Through the first 25 minutes, the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team kept it close against Emporia State University, ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's leader.
However, ESU, led by senior point guard Cassondra Boston, enjoyed a big second half run as Fort Hays lost 88-67 on Wednesday night at White Auditorium.
"If we can do it for 25 minutes, why can't you do it for 40?," Tiger coach Tony Hobson said. "That's my question to my team. That's what we will concentrate on. What I think changed was our intensity level and not getting back on defense. Two things that you really notice is defensive transition rebounding, and that's where we lost the game, and all that is just effort."
Fort Hays allowed a season-high in points and suffered its worst loss of the year. In addition, Emporia State outrebounded the Tigers 56-36, the worst rebounding margin for FHSU in a single game. Boston, a returning first team all-MIAA player, scored 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Boston collected 21 points in the second half as ESU outscored Fort Hays 54-34 after the break. In addition, sophomore forward Brittney Miller scored 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Hornets.
"Transition-wise, we couldn't find them in the open court," Hobson said. "What happens in our case, even the shots they missed, we are scattered out trying to find somebody, and then they get the offensive rebound, so they really dominated the boards in the second half."
Fort Hays finished the first half of the conference season at 13-4 overall, 6-4 MIAA. The Tigers, fourth in the conference, are 0-3 against the top three squads. ESU, the defending MIAA champions, moved to 16-1 overall and 9-1 in the conference with its 13th straight home victory, longest in the MIAA.
"On a team with that much talent, intensity is a big thing, and if you make a mistake, they are going to make you pay for it like any great team would," senior guard Naomi Bancroft said.
In the first half, Bancroft outplayed Boston -- considered by some the top two MIAA players this season -- as Fort Hays trailed 34-33 at intermission. The Hornets' inside players, led by 11 first-half points and three rebounds from junior forward Alli Volkens, outrebounded FHSU 27-17. ESU grabbed 12 first-half offensive rebounds.
Bancroft, known for highlight reel 3-pointers, finished with 12 first-half points on four treys. Her last one came right before the buzzer. Bancroft dribbled down the right side, and with three Emporia State players guarding her, she made a one-handed 28-foot runner that banked off the backboard. Bancroft labeled the shot "probably the No. 1 luckiest" 3-pointer she has made in her career. Bancroft, the conference's leading scorer at 19 points a game, finished with 22.
In the second half, FHSU took its only lead, 35-34, on a basket from freshman Traci Keyser, and stayed within 46-42 with 15 minutes left. However, Emporia State enjoyed a 28-12 run that put the game out of reach. Boston hit three 3s in that stretch and Emporia State converted multiple times off offensive rebounds.
Fort Hays, which has lost two straight road games, will be off until it plays host to University of Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
"She is a great player," Bancroft said of Boston. "She is one of those that you can't play off because she can shoot it, but if you play too close, she can drive around you.
"We had to play good tough defense on her but once she gave the ball up, we had to care of everybody else on the floor. There were people getting to the basket that we shouldn't have had getting to the basket. Our help was coming to the wrong places and sometimes no help. Overall, team defense was struggling tonight," Bancroft added.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |