FHSU Athletics
Emporia State (17-7, 6-6 MIAA)
at Fort Hays State (14-4, 9-3 MIAA)
Saturday, January 27, 2024 • 4:00 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Game Sponsor: Cancer Council of Ellis County
Promotions: Senior Citizen's Day (Ages 55+ can purchase a $5 ticket) / Pink Day for Women's Basketball in support of Breast Cancer Awareness / FHSU Cheer Camp Performance (women's game halftime)
Fort Hays State plays host to Emporia State on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers enter at 14-4 overall, 9-3 in the MIAA, while the Hornets are 13-7 overall, 6-6 in the MIAA. FHSU currently sits alone in second place in the MIAA standings, just one game back of Northwest Missouri State (10-2).
The Tigers are coming off a 71-58 win over Washburn on Thursday evening in Hays. The Tigers used a big 20-0 run in the second half to take the only regular season contest with the Ichabods after being down by one at halftime. Kaleb Hammeke (22) and Elijah Nnanabu (20) gave the Tigers a pair of 20-point scorers in the game. Nnanabu had 16 points in the second half, while Hammeke had 14 after halftime.
The Hornets are coming off a 77-58 win at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday evening. Atavian Butler led the Hornets with 22 points as they picked up their first win in a true road game this season. The Hornets are 2-5 away from their home venue this season, holding a 1-1 record in neutral site games to go with their 1-4 record in away games.
Fort Hays State holds a 106-87 advantage in the all-time series history with Emporia State. The Tigers have won two in a row against the Hornets and eight of the last 10 meetings overall. The last two meetings between the teams were in Emporia. The Hornets were ranked No. 24 in the nation in the meeting last year in Emporia when FHSU won 74-53. The two meetings prior to that were each decided by just two points. FHSU won by two in overtime in 2021-22 and ESU won the last meeting between the teams in Hays by two in 2020-21.
Hammeke upped his season scoring average to 15.6 points per game and assists average to 4.2 per game in the win over Washburn on Thursday night. He became the eighth player in program history to score 1,400 points in a career at FHSU, now with 1,417. He is just 12 assists shy of 400 for his career. Nnanabu upped his season scoring average to 11.6 per game with his second 20-plus point performance of the season on Thursday night.The Hornets have four players averaging at least 14 points per game for the season, led by Alijah Comithier at 17.1 per game and Solomon Oraegbu at 17.0 per game.