GOODLAND, Kan. - In a battle of two teams looking for their first conference win, it was the Independence Women’s Basketball team who rode a strong second half to a 61-55 victory over the Fort Hays Tech Northwest Tigers on Wednesday night.

After one quarter it looked like the two teams were going to be in for a shootout, as the Tigers exploded for 21 first quarter points, shooting 61% from the field and 55% from deep. The Pirates on the other hand shot 33% from the field and 20% from deep in the first frame, and found themselves trailing by seven early. 

The Pirates settled in quickly, as they turned up the defensive pressure, leading to eight Tiger turnovers, and a regression to the mean in shooting numbers. Danaiya Stillwell-Smith wheeled the Pirates back into the game, as she scored 10 of her team high 12 points in the second quarter as the Pirates were able to deadlock the score at 31 heading to the break. 

Indy continued to apply pressure defensively, utilizing a full court press for much of the game leading to 30 Tiger turnovers in total that led to 29 points on the night.

The Pirates were able to edge out the Tigers in both the third and fourth quarters, attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line 35 times. Although they were only able to cash in 15 of those 35 free throw attempts it was just enough as the strong defense only allowed 24 second half points, leading to the six point victory. 

The Pirates had slight edges on the boards and bench points, outrebounding the Tigers by one, and getting 15 points from the bench to the Tigers 14. The Tigers did outshoot the Pirates in all three shooting categories, but the sheer volume of free throws helped Indy to pull away down the stretch. 

Stillwell-Smith led the way with her second consecutive double-double, with 12 points and a team high 10 rebounds. Jade Oliney and Nyah Chandler each finished in double figures as well with 11 and 10 respectively. Oliney also was a force on both ends of the floor with four assists and four steals. Flutra Mehmeti led the way off the bench with five points, while Ra’Niyah Tillman scored a pair of buckets in three short minutes in the fourth quarter. 

The win snaps a five game losing streak for the Pirates and is their fourth win of the year, eclipsing last year's total. The Pirates are now 1-4 in KJCCC play as they gear up to host Garden City on Saturday, tip-off set for 2:00 pm.