Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball program fell 48-42 today inside Municipal Auditorium to #5 Fort Hays in the lowest scoring championship game in MIAA Tournament history.
 
In a game that saw plenty of physical play and little to no space for open shots, the Lions (24-6, 19-3 MIAA) were led by Lacy Stokes with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists and steals. Layne Skiles was the other Lion to score in double figures with 10 points while having five rebounds as well. 
 
Lacy scored 69 points in the Tournament for the seventh-most points scored in a single-tournament, setting the school and freshman record in the process. Among single-season ranks she is now second in steals with 94 steals, fourth in scoring with 592 points. Lacy and Skiles are the first two Lions to ever be named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Fort Hays State (28-3, 19-3 MIAA) was led by Jaden Hobbs with 10 points and had a game-high four steals, Katie Wagner had nine points and rebounds and Whitney Randall wo was named the MIAA Tournament MVP had eight points and five rebounds.
 
In the first quarter the Lions got the scoring started on the first possession after winning the tip as Skiles drew a shooting foul and sank both free throws at 9:51 for the first points of the game. Madi Stokes got on the board for the Lions thanks to an assist by Lacy Stokes with 8:58 left to retake the lead 4-2.
 
The defensive battle settled in shortly after that made basket and the Lions were in early foul trouble with Madi Stokes picking up her second foul with 5:59 left but held strong heading into the media timeout tied 4-4 with 4:46 left in the first quarter. Fort Hays went on a 4-0 run before the Lions responded with baskets by Hailey Grant and Lay Stokes to tie it 8-8 with 1:39 remaining. The Lions had a chance to head into the second quarter with a lead but a Madi Stokes layup rimmed out as the buzzer sounded.
 
Fort Hays got the first points of the second quarter thanks to a Kate Dislsaver driving layup before Lacy Stokes nailed a pair of free throws with 7:20 making it 10-10. The Tigers rode a 6-0 run before Lacy made the first three of the game for either team with 5:02 left in the half but the Lions went into the media timeout down 18-13. 
 
A quick 5-0 run by the Tigers made it 23-13 for what would be the largest lead of the game before a Skiles three jump started a Lion run that began with less than three minutes to go. The Lions 10-0 run over the next two minutes tied it up 23-23 thanks to a Kaitlin Hunnicutt three that was assisted by Skiles with 47 seconds left. 
 
At halftime, the Lions trailed Fort Hays 26-23 but had limited the Tigers to 36.0 percent from the floor while forcing eight turnovers and got key figures in foul trouble. Lacy Stokes had seven points to move her past Rolanda Gladen's 1992-93 single-season scoring tally and claim the fifth spot all for her own. As a team the Lions held the advantage with nine points off turnovers while limiting the Tigers to just four points scored from turnovers in the half.
 
Coming out of the intermission, Lacy quickly found the free throw line drawing a foul with 9:00 on the clock as she made a free throw before connecting on a three to move into the top-ten scoring charts for a single MIAA Tournament while also giving the Lions a 27-26 lead. The Tigers fought back to reclaim the lead 30-27 as the teams headed into the media timeout with 4:28 left in the third quarter.
 
Providing a spark off the bench, Hailey Grant scored on back-to-back possessions that included converting an and-one opportunity with 3:23 left in the third quarter to cut the Fort Hays lead to one (33-32). FHSU's Randall completed her own and-one opportunity with 33 seconds left but a pair of Lacy Stokes free throws with 22.8 second left made it a two point game 36-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Madi got the scoring started in the quarter with a turnaround jumper with 6:56 remaining to tie it 36-36 as both teams defensive intensity increased with each possession. Olivia Hollenbeck got the Tigers' first points of the quarter on the following possession and the teams stayed at 38-36 heading into the media timeout with 4:12 remaining. Madi made a free throw with 3:33 left on the clock that made it 38-37 but a Cydney Bergmann jumper on the ensuing possession made it 40-37 with 3:17 remaining.
 
The first of many big shots was made by Skiles as she drilled a three in the left corner with 2:20 left to tie it 40-40. The response by Fort Hays was a Hobbs three on the next possession, Lacy Stokes made a second chance jumper with 1:22 that made it 43-32. 
 
Fort Hays went to the free throw line with 53.6 second left and made a free throw as the Lions called a timeout and drew up a play. Brooke Stuaffer attempted a three in the right corner that was rebounded by Hobbs of Fort Hays with the Tigers calling a timeout to advance the ball into the front court.
 
The Tigers drained the clock all the way down to one as Sydney Golladay got off a reverse layup underneath the basket making it 46-42 with 14.5 left. The Lions called a timeout to advance the ball into the front court and the attempted three by the Lions fell short and was rebounded by the Tigers who then made both free throws following two fouls by the Lions for the final score 48-42.
 
As a team, the Lions held the advantage in threes made (5-4), free throw percentage (84.6-80.0), rebounds (42-35) and points off turnovers (10-7).
 
The Lions will now await the NCAA Selection show at 9:00 tonight to see where they are seeded after being ranked fifth in the last regional rankings. The NCAA Central Regional will be played at the number one seed and will begin on March 11^th and run through the 14^th.