NW Kansas News

Fort Hays State Women's Basketball (11-4, 6-1 MIAA)
at Lincoln (2-9, 0-5 MIAA)
Monday, January 2, 2023 • 1 p.m.
Jefferson City, Mo. • Jason Gymnasium

The Fort Hays State women's basketball team looks to bounce back Monday afternoon (Jan. 2) when the Tigers take on Lincoln beginning at 1 p.m. in Jefferson City, Mo. The Tigers enter the new year 11-4 overall and 6-1 in the MIAA, while the Blue Tigers currently sit at 2-9 on the year and 0-5 in league action.

Live video of the contest will be available on The MIAA Network. Fans can purchase access to a single contest for $10, a month-long pass for $25 or a season-long, all-access pass for $125. Both the monthly and year-long passes gain access to any event in any sport streamed on The MIAA Network.

Live radio coverage with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock will be available over the air on KJLS 103.3 FM and online at hayspost.com.

Last Time Out
- Fort Hays State came up one point short at No. 11 Central Missouri on Saturday (12/31/22), losing 63-62.
- Megan Earney had a look to win it in the waning seconds, but her corner 3-pointer was off the mark.
- Sydney Golladay led the team with a career-high 17 points after pouring in four 3-pointers, while Jessie Sallach tallied a season-best 13 points.
- The Tigers trailed by as many as nine but had the chance to win after holding UCM scoreless over the final three-plus minutes.  

Tiger Notables
- Fort Hays State has won 221 games since the start of the 2014-15 season, by far the most of any MIAA team (ESU - 191 wins).
- The Tigers are 210-113 (.650) in conference games since joining the MIAA in 2006.
- Sydney Golladay is averaging 5.8 assists per game over the last five contests, including a season-high seven in two-straight.
- Katie Wagner (12.3 ppg), Olivia Hollenbeck (10.7 ppg), Emma Ruddle (9.3 ppg), Jessie Sallach (8.0 ppg) and Megan Earney (7.0 ppg) all average at least seven points per game against Lincoln.
- Jessie Sallach (16 points) and Emma Ruddle (12 points) both tallied their career-highs against the Blue Tigers.
- The Tigers entered the weekend ranking third nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.40), sixth in turnovers per game (12.0), seventh in scoring defense (52.9) 14th in fouls per game (13.4) and 18th in turnover margin (+6.57).
- The Tigers are in pursuit of their 12th-consecutive 20-win season. The current streak of 11 such seasons is the longest active streak in Division II.
- FHSU is 62-43 when playing in the state of Missouri during the Hobson era.
- The Tigers have a chance to win the league for a third-consecutive year, a feat not accomplished in more than 15 years (Washburn 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06).

Series History with Lincoln
- The Tigers are 17-1 all-time against Lincoln, including a perfect 8-0 record on the road.
- The entire series history has been played during the Hobson era, with the first matchup taking place in 2010.
- The Tigers have won 14 in a row, dating back to 2013.
- Fort Hays State defeated the Blue Tigers twice last season, including an 11-point road win and a 35-point win at home.

On This Day
- The Tigers are 5-2 in recorded history on January 2.
- Most recently, Fort Hays State lost to Emporia State at home in 2021, 62-61.
- The Tigers are 0-2 against the Lady Hornets on January 2 and 5-0 against all other opponents combined.

The Coach
- Tony Hobson enters his 15th season at Fort Hays State and his 31st season as a head coach at the collegiate level in 2022-23.
- He is 322-113 as a Tiger and 732-219 all-time.
- Hobson ranks third all-time amongst MIAA head coaches with 322 wins at FHSU.
- He ranks in the top 30 in win percentage amongst all active NCAA head coaches and in the top 10 in Division II.
- Hobson earned the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Women's Four-Year College Coach of the Year award last season, his 19th career coach of the year award.
- He has coached four All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans, two conference players of the year and 48 All-MIAA performers over the last 14 seasons.

Scouting the Blue Tigers
- Lincoln ranks 12th in the league in scoring offense (62.1 ppg) and 13th in scoring defense (74.6 ppg allowed).
- The Blue Tigers rank last in the MIAA with 3.8 3-pointers per game and a 3FG% of .240.
- Le'Yanna McGinnis ranks ninth in the league with an average of 15.6 points per game.
- The Blue Tigers are 1-4 at home this season.

Looking Ahead
Fort Hays State returns to Gross Memorial Coliseum for a three-game homestand beginning Thursday, January 5 when ninth-ranked Missouri Southern comes to town. First tip between the Tigers and Lions is set for 5:30 p.m.
Original source can be found here.