MARYVILLE, Mo. - The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team bounced back from a slow start to pick up a 70-59 win over Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.
The Tigers (16-3, 7-3 MIAA) took advantage of 31 trips to the free-throw line, burying a season-high 26 free throws in the come-from-behind victory.
The Bearcats (8-10, 3-6 MIAA) led by as many as eight in the first half after limiting FHSU to a shooting percentage of 32.1 percent (9-of-28) before halftime.
Fort Hays State quickly made up for its slow start after the break, knocking down six of its first eight shots in the third quarter. Kacey Kennett opened the second half with a pair of layups in the first minute and added a pair of free throws four minutes later to give the Tigers their first lead since the first quarter.
Northwest momentarily tied things up at 36 midway through the third quarter before a bucket from Jaden Hobbs pushed the Tigers in front for good. A layup from Taylor Rolfs later in the third pushed the Tiger run to 17-4 to open the second half, turning a seven-point deficit into a six-point lead in just six minutes.
The Tigers carried a five-point edge into the fourth, 50-45, before scoring the first six points of the final frame to build the lead to double figures. The Bearcats fought back to close within five late in the game, but a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the charity stripe over the final two minutes, 20 seconds helped the Tigers secure the victory.
After missing four free throws before halftime (5-for-9, Fort Hays State was nearly perfect over the second half, knocking down 21-of-22 from the line.
Fort Hays State dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Bearcats 39-24. The Tigers used 12 offensive rebounds to create 14 second-chance points while limiting Northwest to just four second-chance points. FHSU finished the game shooting 40.4 percent (21-for-52) from the floor thanks to a 50 percent effort after halftime (12-of-24).
Hobbs led the team with a season-high 22 points after knocking down 9-of-10 from the line while adding five assists. Kennett tallied 16 points thanks to a perfect 10-for-10 day from the line, the most makes without a miss for a Tiger in nearly five years (Beth Bohuslavsky 14-for-14 & Kate Lehman 12-of-12 vs Washburn, 2/18/15).
Rolfs added 15 points, six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Belle Barbieri grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, with Cydney Bergmann totaling a career-best eight boards.
The Tigers return home for three straight contests starting next weekend when they host rival Nebraska-Kearney. First tip on Feb. 1 is set for 2 p.m.