Missouri Western (13-15, 9-11 MIAA) at
#18/RV Fort Hays State (21-4, 16-4 MIAA)
Wednesday, February 23 – 7:30 pm
Hays, Kan. – Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
LISTEN LIVE
Game Sponsor: Domino's
National Anthem: Fort Hays Singers
Promotions: Senior Night
Halftime Performances: Jackie Creamer's The Dance Studio, Big Creek Crossing Baby Crawl
Men's Senior Recognition: Right after the conclusion of the women's contest.
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball hosts Missouri Western in its final home game of the regular season on Wednesday night (Feb. 23) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm, which follows the women's contest at 5:30 pm. Recognition of seniors for men's basketball will begin immediately following the conclusion of the women's contest.
The NABC No. 18 ranked Tigers (21-4, 16-4 MIAA) enter the final week of regular season play in the hunt for an MIAA Regular Season Championship. They are tied for second in the MIAA standings with Northwest Missouri State, both just one game back of Central Oklahoma. All three teams have two games remaining in the regular season this week. Central Oklahoma at 17-3 in the MIAA, plays host to Central Missouri and Missouri Southern this week. Northwest Missouri State will be in action at Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday night before returning home to host Fort Hays State in the regular season finale on Saturday in Maryville.
The Tigers have already sewn up a spot in the MIAA Tournament next week in Kansas City, which has a 10-team format. Results this week will determine which seed the Tigers receive, but a win on Wednesday night would mathematically lock the Tigers for one of the top three seeds.
As one of the Senior Night honorees, Jared Vitztum is on the verge of doing something no other player in FHSU Men's Basketball history has accomplished. He could become the first player to reach both the 1,500 points and 900 rebounds milestones for a career. He is already one of five players in program history to reach 1,500 points, which he did in the previous game at Central Missouri, now with 1,506. He is only seven rebounds short of 900, a mark that has been reached by only two players in program history. But none of the 1,500-point scorers ever pulled down 900 or more rebounds. Vitztum is in his fifth year on the floor with the Tigers and sixth with the program overall after redshirting his first year out of high school.
Joining Vitztum for senior recognition will be Nyjee Wright and Jackson Miller. Wright is in his fourth year on the floor and fifth year overall with the Tigers. He, like Vitztum, redshirted his first year out of high school. Wright will be playing in his 92nd game as a Tiger and he has averaged 8.3 points per game over his career with 121 3-point field goals and a free-throw success rate north of 80 percent. Miller has been a member of the Tiger program for three years, spending two on the floor after transferring from Coffeyville Community College. He has played in 25 games at FHSU, accumulating 37 points, 34 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots.
Fort Hays State won its first meeting with Missouri Western earlier this year on January 24 by a score of 76-71 in St. Joseph. Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by Vitztum with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Wright had 16, Bjarni Jonsson had one of his best scoring outputs of the season with 15, and Kaleb Hammeke added 13. The Tigers were an efficient 8-of-13 beyond the 3-point arc in that contest. JaQuaylon Mays led the Griffons with 18 points in that game.
Together with the women's team, now ranked 6th by the WBCA, Fort Hays State is one of just three NCAA Division II schools with both teams ranked in the latest edition of coaches polls (Lubbock Christian, Cal State San Marcos). FHSU is the only MIAA school with 20+ wins by both teams this season and the only school with both teams still alive for a regular season conference title. The Tiger hoops teams have a combined 44 wins this season, four more than the next-closest MIAA program (Northwest Missouri State).