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Bancroft scores 34 as FHSU, minus Klug, win
1/12/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
Minus senior Kayla Klug, the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team won Monday night's game against Missouri Southern State University.
But it wasn't easy.
With Klug -- a starting guard -- sitting on the bench for the whole game after injuring her ankle in Saturday's win over Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University, the Tigers edged Missouri Southern 73-68 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association action at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
For that, they can thank senior guard Naomi Bancroft.
Bancroft swished eight 3-pointers -- one off her own single-game school record -- and scored a career-high 34 points.
"I knew with Kayla out -- she has been so good for us -- I knew I had to have a good night," Bancroft said.
Fort Hays (13-2 overall, 6-2 MIAA) had trouble offensively, especially in the first half. Still, the Tigers trailed by just a bucket, 32-20.
"We didn't execute as well first half," Fort Hays coach Tony Hobson said. 'Defense kept us in it."
While Fort Hays shot 33 percent from the floor in the first half, the Tigers held the Lions to 40 percent.
In the second half, Fort Hays simplified the offense. Hobson wanted two things: get the ball inside to the post players and also have sophomore Talia Miller play point guard and have Bancroft move to shooting guard, where she could come off ball screens.
The Tigers did get some buckets inside, but it was Bancroft who lit it up from 3-point range that proved the difference.
She hit five of her 3-pointers in the second half. The first broke a 38-38 tie, then after Missouri Southern hit a trey, Bancroft scored again from beyond the arc to make it 41-41.
After a Lion free throw, Bancroft got a ball screen at the top of the key and hit another 3-pointer for a 44-42 lead.
After Fort Hays and Missouri Southern traded buckets, Bancroft swished another trey to give the Tigers a 49-44 lead.
A Missouri Southern free throw made it 49-45 before Bancroft drew a double-team on a pick-and-pop with junior forward Shelby Hillman, then dished off to Hillman, who canned a wide-open 3-pointer for a 52-45 lead.
Later, Missouri Southern got within 52-48, but Bancroft hit a tightly-guarded 3-pointer from the right wing, her eighth of the game.
It wasn't until after her eighth trey that Missouri Southern started denying her on ball screens.
"They didn't switch on ball screens," Bancroft said. "We knew that."
With 5:53 remaining, Bancroft was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Tigers a 68-60 lead also set a new career-high. She scored 33 last season against University of Nebraska-Omaha.
"Naomi was just ridiculous tonight," Hobson said. "Maybe as good a game from a guard as I've had in 25 years."
Missouri Southern (9-6, 3-5) got within 71-66 on a 3-pointer by junior Afton Baldwin with 3:13 remaining, but Tiger junior forward Erica Biel scored on the other end. The Lions scored again to cut the margin to five points, but Afton missed a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:30.
Freshman Traci Keyser came off the bench to score 13 points for Fort Hays, and Biel added 10 points.
Freshman forward Erin Rice scored 14 points and junior guard Jasmine Lovejoy added 13 for the Lions.
Hobson was proud of his team's effort without Klug. As well, junior forward Kara Champlin, nursing a sore back, played but wasn't at 100 percent, he said.
"I think considering everything we've been dealing with, it's a great win," Hobson said.
Hobson said he thinks Klug will be able to play Saturday at Pittsburg State University.
"I think she will be able to play Saturday, maybe not at full speed," Hobson said.
The Tigers have now won eight in a row.
Doing it without a starter made Monday's win even sweeter.
"It's as big a win as we've had," Hobson said. "The kids really gutted out a win tonight."
Klug averages 8.9 points, plays almost 28 minutes per game and shares point guard duties. Still, the Tigers found a way to win.
"Just shows we can handle adversity," Bancroft said. "Every great team has to handle adversity."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| TS | 04/06 | Emporia State | L 8-1 |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 10-2 (5 inn.) |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 13-3 (5 inn.) |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| TS | 03/23 | Kansas Wesleyan | L 6-3 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 20-8 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 6-5 |
| SB | 03/19 | Nebraska-Omaha | L 4-2 |
| SB | 03/19 | Truman State | W 4-1 |
| SB | 03/18 | Mo. Western | L 6-2 |
| 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 |