HAYS, Kan. — The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team ran into a tough 5th-ranked Fort Hays State squad tonight and fell 71-44 in the opening round of the 2021 MIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Southern (9-14) was led by nine points from Amaya Johns as Zoe Campbell and Madi Stokes added six each.
Fort Hays State (20-2) was led by 20 points from Olivia Hollenbeck as four Tigers scored in double-figures.
The Tigers got out to a 9-2 lead three minutes in and FHSU led 13-4 after a free throw with four minutes to go in the first quarter. A three-point play from Kaitlin Hunnicutt cut the lead to eight (15-7) with three minutes to go, but the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter and led 22-7 after one.
The Tigers’ lead was 27-9 after a layup with 7:36 to go and the lead was 35-11 with 3:35 to go before back-to-back three’s from Layne Skiles and Zoe Campbell made the score 35-17 with just more than two left on the clock. The Tigers made a late bucket to make the halftime score 37-17.
Johns hit a three pointer two minutes into the third quarter to make the score 39-20, FHSU, and a jumper from Stokes with six to go made it 43-24. A jumper from Johns with three minutes to go cut the lead to 20 (50-30) but the Tigers took a 57-33 lead into the final quarter.
A layup from Campbell and a free throw the next trip down made the score 67-42, Tigers, with four minutes to go and both teams were scoreless for the next three minutes but two free throws from Johns proved to be the final scores.
Southern ends the season at 9-14, but saw many positives on the season. Both Carley Turnbull and Madi Stokes were named All-MIAA. Stokes raced onto the scene as a sophomore for the Lions and moved up the rankings on the blocks list at MSSU. She currently ranks second in single-season blocks with her 47 putbacks this year and ranks fifth nationally in that category. She leads the MIAA in total blocks, blocks per game, total rebounds, rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game.
Earlier this season, Stokes became just the third player to ever have a 20 point, 20-rebound game in MSSU history when she put up 21 points and 22 rebounds against Emporia State. Not to be out done, she followed that up with a 31-point, 21-rebound game against Rogers State, becoming the first Lion to ever have at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game. The first 30-point, 20-rebound game in Division II this season. Stokes also tied an MSSU single-game record with seven blocks in that contest.
This season Turnbull was the MIAA’s Player of the Week when she averaged 25 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists in helping the Lions to wins over Northeastern State and Rogers State. She shot 51 percent from the field that week and 82 percent from the free throw line.
For the season, Turnbull leads the Lions with 13.7 points per game and is second with 4.9 rebounds per game. She is shooting 43 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line. Turnbull is third on the team with 35 assists and leads the Lions with 22 steals.
