HAYS, Kan. (Jan. 5, 2017) – Central Missouri's 10 game winning streak came to a close Thursday night at the hands of Fort Hays State. The Tigers pulled ahead late in the first quarter, on their way to a 69-59 win. The loss is the Jennies first since their season opener, Nov. 11. They stand at 10-2 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.
Despite trailing by as many as 22 points late in the third, the Jennies showed some spunk and didn't go down without a fight. Central Missouri used a 21-4 run, spanning most of the fourth quarter, to climb to within five, 59-54. The Tiger lead proved to be too much however and Fort Hays State sealed the win with eight free throws in the final three minutes.
Paige Redmond went over 20 points for the third time this season, scoring a game-high 22 points.
Morgan Fleming recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
Ashley Duffy tied a career-high with 11 rebounds and
Megan Skaggs added 11 points.
The Tigers showed why they're the number two scoring defense in the MIAA, holding UCM to 31.1% (19-for-61) shooting and 25% (7-for-28) from behind the arc. Their 31.1% is their second lowest this season. The Jens also lost the turnover battle for the just the second time this season, giving up the ball 16 times while forcing only 10 Tiger turnovers.
Both teams started off slowly, combining to go 0-8 from the field before a Redmond basket at the 6:44 mark ended the field goal drought. The Tigers took more than six minutes to score their first field goal, getting a three with 3:53 left in the frame. That basket was the first of three straight three-pointers from the Tigers who turned an 8-3 deficit into a 12-10 lead.
Fort Hays State extended their lead with the help of an 18-2 run from the 3:30 mark in the first quarter to the 6:23 mark in the second quarter. They ended the half leading by 17, thanks-in-part to outscoring UCM 15-4 in the final 4:10.
Fort Hays State was led by Jill Faxon who scored 17 points. Kacey Kennett added 14 points as her and Faxon each connected on three triples. Tatyana Legette added seven points while pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds.
Central Missouri wraps up the week Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney. Tip off against the Lopers is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Kearney, Neb.
