By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

TOPEKA -- Washburn University scored the first 10 points of Saturday's contest before the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team called a timeout, battled back and closed the gap to one point at halftime.

"We just needed to step up our game and talk," Tiger freshman Traci Keyser said. "We didn't have the communication at the beginning. Once we got the communication rolling, we kind of got a little system there, so that helped out a lot. We had to have better cuts and more offense."

The second half was similar. The Lady Blues tallied the first seven points after intermission and bumped their lead to 35-27.

Fort Hays eventually tied the game late, but Washburn quickly regained the lead. FHSU played catchup all contest and lost 50-45 on Saturday afternoon in Lee Arena.

"We match up fine with these guys," second-year Tiger coach Tony Hobson said.

"When we did get good shots, we didn't shoot the ball very well. I was really happy with the way we hung in there. We refused to go away tonight. In this environment against a team of their caliber, I think that is a tribute to how far I think this team has come."

Fort Hays, facing one of the country's top defenses, scored its fewest points of the season and shot 26 percent, its worst field goal percentage of the winter. Senior Erica Biel led the Tigers with 15 points, while Keyser tied her career-high with 14. Senior Naomi Bancroft finished with 11, all in the first half, and bumped her streak of double figure games to 27.

"I think this is one of the best defensive teams I have ever played against," Keyser said.

Washburn, ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II, moved to 18-3 overall, 12-3 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Fort Hays, ranked seventh in the South Central Regional poll, dropped to 15-6, 8-6 in the conference.

"We need these W's," Keyser said. "We battled and we need to battle the rest of the season."

The Tigers have lost 15 straight against the Lady Blues and 20 straight against ranked opponents. However, it's the second time since 1994 that FHSU has stayed within 10 points of the Lady Blues.

"There was just a little more fight to us and a realization that we could play with these guys if we forget who we are playing and where we are at and just get after them," Hobson said.

Washburn took an early 10-0 lead before Fort Hays closed the lead to 12-11 on two 3-pointers from Keyser. The Lady Blues held the lead all throughout the first half, but the Tigers stayed within eight points. Fort Hays had trouble working the ball inside against Washburn's defense and shot 8-of-28 in the first half.

"They weren't guarding Erica one-on-one," Hobson said. "(Dayna) Rodriguez was playing behind her and then when (Biel) would put it on the floor with a move, they would double down on her. That caused us a little trouble. After we got that figured out, we got a couple open shots around the perimeter."

However, Keyser hit two treys, Bancroft hit three and junior Shelby Hillman sunk one as the Tigers went 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. Washburn led 28-27 at intermission.

"After the start we got off to, I really like the way our kids responded," Hobson said. "We just kind of settled in and after that early timeout, we had to stop them a couple times. You are down 10-0 and you trade baskets, you are done. So I thought our defense tightened up a little bit. A couple things went in. Traci hit a couple early 3s and I think that kind of loosened everybody up."

The second half nearly replicated the first. The Lady Blues scored the first seven points and pushed their lead to 35-27 before Fort Hays came back. The Tigers, led by Keyser and Biel, pulled within one at 40-39.

Fort Hays never led, but tied the game at 42 when Biel made the first of two foul shots. Then, Washburn took a six-point lead on 3s from senior Hope Gregory (game-high 19 points). Fort Hays cut the deficit to 48-45 before FHSU junior Kara Champlin was called for a questionable foul on a 3-point shot from Gregory with 29 seconds left. Gregory went to the line and sunk two of three foul shots for the win.

"We pretty much went toe-to-toe with them right down to the wire and they call a flop and get to the line to shoot 3," Hobson said. ".... If we have the ball down three with 28 seconds, we are right there. At least we got a chance to win it or send it into overtime. I was really proud of our kids that we just stayed in there and fought."

FHSU will return home Thursday against Truman State (Mo.) University.