HAYS, Kan. - Despite shooting 43 percent from beyond-the-arc, the Missouri Southern women's basketball team fell to the Fort Hays State Tigers, 76-60, to open MIAA play inside Gross Memorial Stadium Thursday evening.
 
The Lions (1-6, 0-1 MIAA) were led by junior forward Desirea Buerge who poured in a season-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds. Senior guard Jasmine Green recorded nine points, five rebounds, and three assists in her first game action since getting the start against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 11.
 
Senior forward Jenson Maydew added six points and eight rebounds, while junior guards Chelsey Henry and Dru Clark each contributed six points as well.
 
Fort Hays State (6-0, 1-0 MIAA) remains one of five undefeated teams in MIAA, led by Carly Heim (19) and Kacey Kennet (18) who combined for nearly half of the Tigers points. Tatyana Legette and Taylor Rolfs both added a double-double as Legette finished with 17 points and ten rebounds, while Rolfs completed the game with 11 points and ten rebounds.
 
Freshman guard Ines Catalan Mateos and Clark converted on back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the deficit to six in the early moments of the second period (22-16). As a team, the Lions combined for a 9-for-21 clip from three-point range compared to the Tigers 5-for-20 slate from long distance.
 
After the two teams exchanged three-point baskets to begin the second period, the Tigers came back with another shot from long distance to go up by double-digits and spread it out to a 15-point lead to end the half. Then they would go on a 12-0 run shooting 60-percent from the field which tailed off to 50 percent in the first two periods of play.
 
MSSU eventually found itself down by ten (57-47) in the first minute of the final period and would battle down the stretch, but that is as close as the Lions would get before FHSU increased its lead to 16 in the final minutes.
 
Southern looks to rebound in its second game of the two-game road trip as it takes on the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2:00 pm.