By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State overcame a sluggish offensive performance and 20-rebound differential to knock off Nebraska-Kearney 57-55. Kaleb Hammeke hit a layup with six seconds to play to give the Tigers the lead. The Lopers missed a 3-pointer at the horn to give FHSU the win. FHSU is now 12-5 overall and 7-4 in the MIAA. UNK drops to 3-13 overall, 1-9 in the MIAA.
The Lopers jumped out to an early 11-2 lead but the Tigers countered with a 15-2 run to build a 17-13 with a little over eight minutes to play in the first half. Their lead grew to five twice before UNK battled back to tie the game 28-28 at halftime.
After the Lopers took back the lead over the first seven minutes of the second half, the Tigers responded with eight straight points from Traejon Davis to go up 38-35 with 12 minutes to play. Davis went 5-for-5 from the floor including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and scored 15 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
Down six, brothers Kaleb and Lucas Hammeke helped the Tigers tie the game with a couple of clutch conventional 3-point plays. Kaleb had his at the 3:09 mark to cut the deficit to three. Lucas knotted the game up at 2:35.
The Lopers hit a 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to take the lead back but the Tigers countered with four-straight points to go up one. Kaleb Hammeke hit another layup off an assist from Davis, then Bjarni Jonsson had a steal and a fast-break layup to put the Tigers up one. UNK hit another 3-pointer and took a two-point lead with a minute to go.
The brother tandem came up big for the Tigers once again as Kaleb found Lucas on a cut underneath the basket to tie the game. UNK missed a shot and it set up the late-game heroics for Kaleb.
Kaleb Hammeke finished with 18 points to lead the Tigers, Davis added 15, and Lucas Hammeke came off the bench to score seven in the final 12 minutes.
Darrian Nebeker led the Lopers with 14 points. Sean Evans and Winston Cook each added 12.
UP NEXT
The Tigers head on the road this next week for their only meetings of the season with Washburn and Emporia State. The Tigers take on the Ichabods in Topeka on Wednesday night then the Hornets in Emporia on Sunday.