FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (11-3, 6-2 MIAA)
at Missouri Southern (5-8, 3-4 MIAA)
Thursday, January 11 • 7:30 p.m.
Joplin, Mo. • Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
The Fort Hays State men's basketball team plays the first of three straight road games on Thursday night at Missouri Southern. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Leggett and Platt Center in Joplin. FHSU enters the game at 11-3 overall, 6-2 in the MIAA, while MSSU enters at 5-8 overall, 3-4 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State holds a 37-23 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. FHSU and MSSU split its regular season series last year with each team winning on the road. Missouri Southern won the first meeting in Hays 68-56 before Fort Hays State won the second meeting in Joplin 84-70. FHSU has won four of the last five games in the series.
The Tigers enter this contest riding a three-game win streak, all in MIAA play. FHSU won both of its home games last week in MIAA play against Central Missouri and Lincoln. The Lions are coming off an 81-74 win at Pittsburg State this past Saturday and have won three of their last four games.
Fort Hays State owns the top scoring defense in NCAA Division II at 57.1 points allowed per game. The Tigers have held opponents to 60 points or less in nine of 14 games this season. In the last five meetings between FHSU and MSSU in Joplin, Missouri Southern has scored at least 70 points. The last time FHSU held MSSU inside of 70 at the Leggett and Platt Center was in 2014 when FHSU won 76-67. Even though the Tigers have allowed 70 or more to the Lions in the last five meetings in Joplin, the Tigers have gone 3-2 in that stretch by averaging 83.6 points per game, scoring at least 80 in four of those five contests.
Kaleb Hammeke leads the Tigers at 14.8 points and 3.8 assists per game. He has scored at least 17 points in each of the last four games, including 24 against Lincoln this past Saturday. Hammeke is averaging 15.6 points in MIAA games. Bjarni Jonsson is coming off a career-high 18 points against Lincoln, when he hit a new career-high four 3-point field goals in the game. Shaun Riley is the top scorer off the bench for FHSU at 8.9 points per game. He has scored in double figures in six of his last eight games.
Darius Dawson leads Missouri Southern at 13.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. He is also the team leader in blocked shots with 16. Cam Williams and Vinson Sigmon Jr. also average double figures in scoring for the Lions.