No. 3 Fort Hays State WomenS Basketball Defeats Eastern New Mexico 74-68
HAYS, Kan. – The No. 3 Fort Hays State Tigers held off a late rally from Eastern New Mexico to secure a 74-68 victory Friday night. The Tigers started strong and maintained a lead for much of the game, despite a back-and-forth third quarter and a furious comeback attempt by the Greyhounds in the fourth.
Avery Lowe opened the game with a 3-pointer 27 seconds into the contest, giving the Tigers the early advantage.Fort Hays State capitalized on a strong inside presence,scoring 10 points in the paint during the first quarter and leading 21-15 at the end of the frame. eastern New Mexico chipped away in the second, outscoring FHSU 17-13 to close the gap to 34-32 by halftime.
The third quarter saw four lead changes, with Brooke Loewe regaining the lead for the Tigers at 38-37. ellie Stearns added a 3-pointer, helping FHSU enter the fourth quarter with a 54-49 lead.
Fort Hays State extended its lead to a game-high 11 points (60-49) early in the fourth quarter with baskets from Talexa Weeter and Olivia Mortensen. Though, Eastern New Mexico responded with a 9-0 run, tying the game at 66 with 2:24 remaining. Crucial layups from weeter, assisted by Loewe, put the Tigers back in front, and a late field goal from Brittan Zeka sealed the win, giving FHSU an eight-point advantage with 20 seconds left.
Weeter led all scorers with 25 points,shooting 9-of-11 from the free-throw line and grabbing eight rebounds. Mortensen contributed 17 points and six assists, while Loewe nearly recorded a triple-double with 15 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Stearns added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Fort hays State shot 50 percent from the field (28-of-56) compared to Eastern New Mexico’s 36.2 percent (25-of-69).
The Tigers (2-0) will conclude their weekend road trip with a game against William Jewell on Saturday, november 22, at 3 p.m. in Wichita,Kansas.
