Northeastern State (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State (1-3, 1-3 MIAA)
Friday, December 18 - 7:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. - Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
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Fort Hays State Men's Basketball looks to keep its recent success rolling this week as a pair of Oklahoma schools travel to meet the Tigers in Hays. FHSU will host Northeastern State on Friday evening (Dec. 18) at 7:30 pm, which follows the women's contest at 5:30. Both teams enter the game 1-3 on the season.
The Tigers picked up a pair of wins away from home last week, one in exhibition and one in regular season play. The Tigers grabbed national attention with an 81-68 win at Kansas State, becoming the first non-Division I team to defeat a major conference team on the road since 2000. Though the game did not count toward Fort Hays State's regular season record, it counted for Kansas State. The Tigers used that springboard of success to defeat Newman in Wichita, in overtime, by a score of 81-75 for their first regular season win of the season.
The Tigers will be looking for their first home win of the season on Friday after a pair of heartbreakers at home to open the season. FHSU fell in its season opener by two points at the coliseum on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Washburn, then lost by two again at home to Emporia State a couple days later. All four games FHSU played so far this year have been decided by six points or less and the opposition is outscoring FHSU by only two points for the entire season (307-305).
Fort Hays State holds an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series with Northeastern State. The Tigers have won seven straight meetings between the teams in Hays. NSU's only victory in Hays since joining the MIAA occurred in 2014. FHSU won last year's meeting in Hays 87-80. On the flip side, Northeastern State has claimed the last two meetings between the teams in Tahlequah. The teams have split their regular season series each of the last two years with the home team winning all four contests in that stretch.
Jared Vitztum continues to lead the Tigers in scoring and rebounding. He leads the MIAA at 11.0 rebounds per game and ranks fourth in scoring at 21.0 points per game. He is tied for the conference and national lead in double-doubles with three.
Kaleb Hammeke and Quinten Rock are tied for the team lead in assists at 4.5 per game. They are tied for the third-best average in the MIAA. Both are averaging double figures in scoring, Rock at 12.5 points per game and Hammeke at 11.0 per game.
Caleb Williams leads Northeastern State in scoring at 18 points per game. Trey Sampson (15.7), Rashad Perkins (12.5) and Brad Davis (12.3) all average double figures as well.
Friday night will mark the first home doubleheader for FHSU women's and men's basketball since February 22 last season, which was also against Northeastern State.
After facing the RiverHawks on Friday, the Tigers will host Rogers State on Sunday.
FHSU Athletics