By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn's struggling women's basketball team showed some glimpses of the team Ichabod coach Ron McHenry has been looking for in Wednesday night's MIAA opener.
But there weren't enough of those glimpses, or for long enough periods, to give the Ichabods a chance for an upset against Division II's No. 1-ranked team, with Fort Hays State pulling away in the second half for a 72-50 victory at Lee Arena.
"That's kind of been what we've done all year,'' McHenry said. "We've had moments of pretty good basketball, just not a long enough period of it to find that winning way versus how to give away the game or just not get in a game.''
Fort Hays State, which improved to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, jumped out to 5-0 and 14-2 leads at the start of the game, but Washburn (1-5, 0-1) clawed back to within 17-12 at the end of the opening quarter and was still within single digits through most of the second quarter before the Tigers scored the final three points for a 36-24 halftime advantage.
The Tigers proceeded to open up a 40-24 lead early in the second half and led 55-36 at the start of the fourth quarter before leading by as much as 25 points midway through the final period.
Washburn struggled through a 34-percent shooting night from the field (17-50) and hit just 3 of 15 3-point attempts (20 percent) while Fort Hays State shot 45.3 percent (24 of 53) and hit 7 of 15 3s (46.7 percent).
"It's just kind of a battle right now for sure,'' McHenry said.
Four players cracked double figures for the Tigers, led by Olivia Hollenbeck with 13 points, while Lauren West added 12 and Katie Wagner and Megan Earney 11 apiece.
West and Earney both canned 3-pointers while Wagner grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
Seniors Hunter Bentley and Nuria Barrientos scored nine points apiece for Washburn while Macy Doebele added seven points and Barrientos led the Ichabods with five rebounds.
Former Shawnee Heights standout guard Alie Fulks, a freshman, saw 9:13 of playing time for Washburn and scored the first points of her college career on a 3-pointer.
Washburn will be back at home Saturday to host Nebraska-Kearney in a 1 p.m. MIAA contest.
FORT HAYS STATE WOMEN 72, WASHBURN 50
Fort Hays State 17 19 19 17 -- 72
Washburn 12 12 12 14 -- 50
FORT HAYS STATE (6-0, 1-0)
Hollenbeck 5-7 3-3 13, West 4-10 1-1 12, Wagner 3-11 5-6 11, Randall 3-7 2-2 9, Bergmann 2-4 3-3 7, Dilsaver 0-1 0-0 0, Sallach 3-7 1-2 7, Thompson 1-2 0-0 2, Ruddle 0-0 0-0 0, Earney 3-4 2-2 11. Totals 24-53 17-19 72.
WASHBURN (1-5, 0-1)
Cassaday 0-1 0-0 0, Gamble 2-5 0-0 5, Glatczak 0-1 0-0 0, Bentley 3-8 3-3 9, Barrientos 3-6 3-3 9, Doebele 1-6 5-6 7, Dewey 1-4 1-3 3, Sanchez 2-4 0-0 4, Oliver 1-4 0-2 2, Chapman 2-4 1-2 5, Fulks 1-3 0-0 3, Willey 1-4 0-0 3, Broadie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-50 13-19 50.
3-point goals -- Fort Hays State 7-15 (Earney 3-4, West 3-7, Randall 1-3, Wagnewr 0-1 ), Washburn 3-14 (Gamble 1-2, Fulks 1-2, Willey 1-2, Bentley 0-4, Dewey 0-2, Doebele 0-1, Sanchez 0-1, Barrientos 0-1). Rebounds — Fort Hays State 34 (Wagner 7), Washburn 30 (Doebele 5, Dewey 5). Assists -- Fort Hays State 14 (Randall 3, Earney 3), Washburn 7 (Oliver 3). Turnovers -- Fort Hays State 9, Washburn 12. Total fouls -- Fort Hays State 19, Washburn 17. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
