HAYS -- The No. 13 Fort Hays State women's basketball team battled early and held on late in a 74-61 win over Washburn Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers move to 15-2 overall and 6-2 in MIAA play after their ninth win in a row, while the Ichabods dip to 8-8 on the year and 2-5 in league action.
Both teams were shooting the lights out early on, with the Tigers hitting seven of their first 10 shots and the Ichabods burying their first eight attempts, including four from behind the arc. The Tigers managed to escape the first quarter with a 21-21 tie after forcing eight Washburn turnovers.
While the Tigers continued to pile on the points in the second quarter, Washburn lost its momentum, shooting just 11.8 percent from the floor in the period (2-for-17). The Fort Hays State defense held Washburn scoreless for the final 6 minutes, 30 seconds of the first half, heading into halftime on a 10-0 scoring run to build the lead to 37-26.
Washburn made several attempts to rally in the second half, closing within 10 on five different occasions, but the Tigers had an answer each time. After the Ichabods scored seven-straight to cut within six, 39-33, Belle Barbieri thwarted the run with an old-fashioned 3-point play. Washburn hit buckets on each of its next two possessions to close within five before a triple from Kacey Kennett and free throws from Jaden Hobbs put the Tigers back up by 10.
Cydney Bergmann ended the next Ichabod spurt with a jumper off a pass from Hobbs before Madison Mittie buried a big 3-pointer to put the Tigers up by 11, 52-41. Hobbs tallied five points in the final minute of the third quarter to put Fort Hays State up by nine heading into the final stanza, 57-48.
Bergmann and Whitney Randall scored early in the fourth quarter to build the advantage to 13 before Washburn's Mia Castaneda kept the Ichabods in it with a layup and a free throw. Rolfs responded with a jumper on the next trip down the floor before Randall put together five points in 22 seconds, giving the Tigers their largest lead of the day at 68-51.
The Ichabods had one final run in them, scoring the next seven points before Barbieri hit jumpers on back-to-back possessions to all but seal the win.
The Tigers finished the game shooting 45.3 percent from the floor (24-of-53) and 75.9 percent from the charity stripe (22-of-29). Washburn was close behind, knocking down 23-of-53 from the floor (43.4 percent) and 7-of-17 from deep (41.2 percent). However, the Ichabods earned just 13 trips to the free-throw line, hitting eight.
The Tigers created 18 turnovers thanks to 10 steals, leading to 24 points off turnovers. Fort Hays State, the nation's best at controlling the ball, turned the ball over just 10 times on the day.
Randall led the way with 16 points, matching her season high, while adding three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Barbieri picked up another double-double, her league-leading sixth on the year, behind 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. The senior forward was 5-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.
Kennett added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists, with Rolfs chipping in 11 points and six rebounds. Hobbs dished out a team-high four assists alongside nine points and two steals.
The Tigers head back out on the road next week to face off with Missouri Western on Thursday. First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.