FHSU Athletics
JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State fell in a back-and-forth battle against Missouri Southern on Thursday night at Missouri Southern. The Lions scored the final five points of the game to win 64-60, moving to 15-10 overall and 9-7 in the MIAA. The Tigers moved to 17-9 overall and 9-8 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State never trailed in the first half. The Tigers opened the game on an 11-2 run, but the Lions worked their way back to tie the game at 14-14. The Tigers used a 7-1 run to go back up by six and went on to lead 30-24 at halftime.
Missouri Southern chipped away early in the second half and took its first lead of the game with just over 13 minutes to go. From that point on, the game was a back-and-forth possession-style battle. Neither team led by more than three the rest of the way until the very end when Missouri Southern hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left to secure the win. The second half saw 13 lead changes and six ties in the competitive final 13 minutes. The Tigers had three offensive possessions in the final minute and a half, but could not find a critical basket. Missouri Southern scored its final five points of the game at the free-throw line in the final three minutes.
Kyle Grill led the Tigers with 15 points, all scored in the first half. Muhamed Kante extended his streak of scoring in double figures to five games with 13 points. Grill and Dan Mukuna each pulled down eight rebounds and Lucas Hammeke dished out a team-best three assists.
Jaden Taylor led the Lions with 14 points, followed by Isaiah Atwater with 13. Hunter Fitch had 12 and Tyrone Wright added 10. Wright and Colin Ruffin each had a team-high nine rebounds.
Fort Hays State looks to bounce back at Pittsburg State on Saturday (Feb. 21). Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg.