FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Basketball improved to 21-8 overall with a 73-56 win over Rogers State in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday at Municipal Auditorium. The Tigers turned in a dominating performance, leading by double digits all the way from halftime to the final horn. They shot a strong 53.2 percent overall, while holding the Hillcats to 39.6 percent. Rogers State ended its season at 16-13 overall.
Rogers State hit the first shot of the game, a three-point field goal about 45 seconds into the contest before FHSU went on an 11-0 run to take an eight-point lead. Rogers State moved back within two twice between the eight and six minute marks of the first half, but FHSU held on to its lead throughout the remainder of the game. FHSU led for the final 38:21 of the contest and took a 40-28 lead into halftime.
The Tigers put the hammer down to leave no doubt by outscoring the Hillcats 20-7 in the first nine-and-a-half minutes of the second half. That pushed the Tiger advantage to 25, their largest of the game, up 60-35.
Elijah Nnanabu led the Tigers with 18 points, one off his career high, with a strong 8-of-11 performance from the field and a pair of free throws. Nnanabu also played a big role on the glass, leading the team with eight rebounds. Bjarni Jonsson tied his career high for points with 17, going 5-of-8 from the field. He hit three 3-point field goals, all in the first half. He led the Tigers with 12 points at halftime. Kaleb Hammeke was right behind Nnanabu and Jonsson with 16 points, while dishing out a team-high three assists. Gilbert Peters gave the Tigers a big spark off the bench with 15 points, tying his season high. The quartet of Tigers accounted for 66 of the team's 73 points.
Chris Whitaker led Rogers State with 14 points, while Isaac Johnson added 10.
No. 3 seeded Fort Hays State moves on to Saturday's semifinal matchup with No. 2 seeded Central Oklahoma at 2:15 p.m. The other semifinal at noon features No. 1 seed Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 4 seed Emporia State. UCO, ranked No. 12 in the latest NABC Division II Poll, won both meetings with FHSU in the regular season. The Tigers will be looking to snap a four-game skid to the Bronchos.