KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Missouri Western Women’s Basketball (14-16) trailed by just four points to the third-ranked team in the nation. Top-seeded Fort Hays State (28-1) would respond with 10 unanswered points, running away with a 71-58 win to end the Griffons’ season on Thursday night.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western began the game like a team that had no nerves about facing the third-ranked team in the nation. The Griffons shot 57 percent in the first quarter to take a 18-17 lead.
• Both defenses settled in after the first quarter, as the teams combined for just eight field goals in the second.
• Fort Hays State held a 32-29 advantage at the halftime break. Melia Richardson continued her offensive production from Wednesday, scoring 10 points in the first half.
• Brittany Atkins’ jumper with seven minutes left in the third dropped the Tigers’ lead to 36-35, their smallest lead of the half.
• Fort Hays State closed the third quarter on a 13-4 run, making five of its next 10 field goals to take a 10-point lead into the final quarter.
• The Griffon defense vaulted a 9-3 run to open up the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 52-48 with 4:51 to play. Missouri Western held the Tigers to just one made basket in the first five minutes of the quarter.
• Fort Hays State found its stride offensively, making six of its final eight field goals to pull away for the 13-point win.
• The Griffons made the most of their possessions and only turned the ball over nine times on Thursday.

LEADERS

• Atkins tied her season-high with 24 points while also grabbing five rebounds.
• Richardson finished with 11 points on 80 percent shooting.
• Katrina Roenfeldt added nine points and nine boards.

— MWSU Athletics —