FHSU Athletics
EMPORIA, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 2-0 on the season with a 66-52 win over Arkansas Tech on Saturday evening at White Auditorium. The Tigers went into halftime with a seven-point lead and then controlled the entire second half, leading by as many as 18 points four times.
After playing to a 21-21 tie through the first 15 and a half minutes of the game, the Tigers used an 11-4 run to end the first half. A Bjarni Jonsson 3-point field goal gave their Tigers their largest lead of the opening half, eight points, with 27 seconds remaining before halftime. Arkansas Tech made a free throw just before the end of the half to get back within seven.
For the second-straight game, the Tigers went to work right out of halftime as Kaleb Hammeke hit a three and a two in the first minute to instantly put the Tigers up 12. They would lead by double figures the rest of the way. Another little 4-0 burst extended the lead to 15, then an J+R.J. Crawford 3-pointer and a Shaun Riley free throw pushed the lead up to 17 just over four minutes into the half.
Another Jonsson 3-point field goal pushed the Tiger lead to its pinnacle just over six minutes into the half. Arkansas Tech did not get closer than 13 points the rest of the way.
Hammeke led the Tigers with 24 points and three assists. He had 12 points in each half, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line. Elijah Nnanabu and Crawford each finished with 10 points, while Crawford led the Tigers in rebounds with six. Nnanabu recorded a team-high three steals.
Seybian Sims was the high-point man for ATU with 13. Josh Mitchell also reached double figures with 10 and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds for the Wonder Boys.F
HSU outshot ATU 46.5 percent to 32.7 percent from the field. The Tigers were 74.1 percent at the free-throw line, hitting 20 charity tosses. They made 11 more free throws than ATU.
Fort Hays State goes back on the road next weekend to MSU Denver on Sunday (Nov. 19) before playing its first home game on November 21.