Hays, Kan. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball program picked up a huge 54-41 road win over #2 Fort Hays State this evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

The Lions (11-5, 8-3 MIAA) were led by true freshman guard Lacy Stokes with 21 points, her fifth game this season hitting the 20-point plateau, while shooting 9-of-19 from the field and 3-of-3 from free throws adding four steals, four rebounds and two assists. Lacy became the 37th Lion in school history to have 50 or more steals in a season and the first since Kenya Wilson-Brown (2015-16). She is only the fifth freshmen to ever accomplish the feat and the first since Jayme Callahan (1998-99).

Junior guard/forward Amaya Johns came away with a career-high 10 rebounds to go with nine points off the bench. Redshirt freshman guard/forward Hailey Grant had eight points going 6-of-8 from free throws while adding eight rebounds as well. Hitting both of the Lion three's this evening, redshirt freshman Kaitlin Hunnicutt had 10 points while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assits.

Sophomore center Madi Stokes had a team-high 11 rebounds along with four points and three blocks, pushing her season total to 26 and her career tally of 109, tying Caryn Schumaker for the second-most in school history as both have three years of 25 or more blocks in a season as well. Madi also now has 554 points and 502 rebounds in her career becoming the 17th Lion to ever do so and the first since Jenson Maydew (2014-18).

Second-ranked Fort Hays State (15-2, 9-2 MIAA) was led by Katie Wagner with nine points and a game-high 16 rebounds to go with two blocks. Jaden Hobbs and Whitney Randall added seven points each with Hobbs coming away with four assists and steals.

Both teams struggled to get on the board in the first few minutes with it being 2-2 following a Lacy Stokes' steal and fast break score at 7:39 remaining in the first quarter. A 4-1 run by Amaya Johns grabbed the Lions their first lead (6-3) of the game with 4:38 remaining.

Fort Hays responded with a 7-2 run over two minutes to reclaim the lead (10-8) with 2:34 to go. Lacy Stokes tied it up on the following possession a floater just inside the paint before the Tigers went on a 5-2 run to close the quarter up 15-12.

The trend of the first half was scoring droughts with both teams failing to put any points on the board until a Lacy Stokes' jumper with 7:25 remaining cutting the Tiger lead to one (15-14). A three minute drought by the Lions opened up a four-point Tiger lead before the Lions went on an 8-4 run to close the half tied up at 22-22 forcing three turnovers by Hobbs on consecutive possession to close the quarter.

The Lions began the second half with scores on their first two possessions to claim a 27-22 lead after a Hunnicutt three the first of the game for either team with 9:08 on the clock. Hays drilled their first three and Wagner scored on a layup with 5:41 left in the third quarter to tie it at 27-27, before Southern closed the quarter with a 6-0 run to head into the final quarter ahead 33-27.

After being held scoreless for almost seven minutes of game time, the #2 Tigers cut the Lion lead to two (35-33) with 7:32 remaining following a Wagner free throw. The Lions clamped down on defense preventing the Tigers from scoring for four minutes following a pair of Hobbs free throws while going on a 12-0 run that stretched the lead to 15 (50-35) with 3:00 remaining in regulation after Johns made a free throw. The Lions never let the Tigers get closer than 13 picking up the first win over a ranked opponent since knocking off a then #25 Fort Hays State inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin on December 1, 2016, 75-64. It was the first road win over a ranked team since February 21, 2015 against then #7 Pittsburg State 72-68 in overtime.

As a team, the Lions had a better field goal percentage than #2 Fort Hays (36.2-22.7), made free throws (10-9), defensive rebounds (39-33), bench points (19-11), points off turnovers (12-6), points in the paint (30-22) and held the Tigers to their lowest scoring total under head coach Tony Hobson's 14 season's with the Tigers and the fewest points scored by any team in the series history.

Up next for the Lions is #14 Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday in Kearney, tip-off from the Health & Sports Center at 2:00 pm. With tonight's results across the conference Nebraska-Kearney is now atop the MIAA standings at 10-1 and the Lions stay in fourth with a 8-3 conference record.