Fort Hays State (1-0, 1-0 MIAA) at
Newman (2-3, 2-3 MIAA)
Saturday, December 12 - 3:30 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. - Fugate Gymnasium
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
LISTEN LIVE
After capturing national attention earlier in the week with a 13-point exhibition win at Kansas State University, the Fort Hays State Men's Basketball team returns to action on Saturday (Dec. 12) at Newman University. Tipoff is set for 3:30 pm at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita. The Tigers are looking to notch their first regular season win of the season.
Newman is not allowing any of the general public to attend home games right now, so the only way to watch the Tigers on Saturday will be on The MIAA Network. A season subscription is $100, which gives you all games in the MIAA for the entire season, or a day pass (24-hour access) is $10.
The Tigers will still be without head coach Mark Johnson on Saturday after a positive COVID test leading up to the contest at Kansas State, but associate head coach Jeremy Brown is cleared to return after being in quarantine as a contact trace. Brown will serve as head coach on Saturday after assistant coach Todd Johnston served as head coach on Tuesday when Fort Hays State knocked off Kansas State in Manhattan.
Fort Hays State looks to use the big exhibition win at Kansas State on Tuesday to jump start success in the regular season after three close losses to start the year. The Tigers dropped their first three contests by a combined eight points, which included a buzzer-beating shot by Washburn in the season opener. The Tigers lost by two to Washburn, two to Emporia State, and four to Nebraska-Kearney.
Fort Hays State swept the regular season series with Newman last year, scoring a seven-point win in Hays and a 10-point win in Wichita. FHSU scored 79 points in each of those wins. Nyjee Wright, who is still unavailable due to a preseason injury, led the Tigers with 26 points in the win over the Jets in Hays last season on February 6. In Wichita on February 29, Jared Vitztum led the Tigers with 24 points. Fort Hays State claimed seven of the last eight meetings with Newman, dating back to the 2013-14 season. Last season marked Newman's first as a member of the MIAA.
Vitztum currently ranks first in the MIAA in rebounding at 11.3 per game, while ranking third in scoring at 21.7 points per game. Vitztum has two double-doubles to his credit so far this year, and also had a double-double with a team-best 16 points and 11 rebounds in the exhibition win at Kansas State on Tuesday.
Freshman Quinten Rock is averaging 11.7 points per game, while adding a team-high 5.0 assists per game. Rock ranks second in the MIAA in assists per game. Kaleb Hammeke is close behind in assists at 4.3 per game, ranking fourth in the MIAA. Alvin Thompson is also averaging double figures in scoring at 11 points per game.
Fort Hays State leads the MIAA in free-throw percentage, successful at an 86 percent clip. That ranks fourth in NCAA Division II.
Newman is coming off a three-point win, 64-61, over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday. That marked Newman's first win of the season after starting 0-3 like the Tigers.