FHSU Athletics
Missouri Western (11-5, 3-3 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State (10-4, 3-2 MIAA)
Thursday, January 16 • 7:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Game Sponsor: Domino's Pizza
National Anthem: Stockton High School
After a week of rest, Fort Hays State Men's Basketball returns to action on Thursday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays hosting Missouri Western. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The Tigers enter at 10-4 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA, while the Griffons are 11-5 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA. FHSU seeks a regular-season split with the Griffons.
Missouri Western took the first of the two regular season meetings between the teams back on January 4 in St. Joseph by a score of 47-44. It was the only game this year the Tigers lost when holding the opposition under 60 points. Both teams were receiving votes in the NABC Top 25 Poll during that matchup, but the Griffons are not among the receiving votes list in the latest version of the poll released on Tuesday. Kaleb Hammeke led the Tigers with 16 points in the first meeting with the Griffons.
Fort Hays State has won the last three meetings with MWSU in Hays. The Tigers have gone 6-2 against the Griffons in the last eight meetings, with both losses occurring in St. Joseph. Missouri Western's last win in Hays was in 2020-21 by a score of 78-73. FHSU has held Missouri Western to 50 or less points in a game for five of the last six meetings overall between the schools.
Fresh off becoming the all-time leading scorer in FHSU Men's Basketball history with 1,767 points, Kaleb Hammeke is on the verge of another big milestone this week at home. He is now only five rebounds away from becoming the first player in program history to record at least 500 assists and 500 rebounds. He is one of only four players to reach the 500-assist mark in program history, and none of the three others with 500 or more assists ever had more than 400 rebounds.
Kyle Grill (11.6) and Shaun Riley (10.8) join Hammeke (14.9) as Fort Hays State's three players averaging double figures in scoring. Hammeke leads the team in assists at 4.8 per game, while Riley leads in rebounds at 6.6 per game. Dan Makuna is coming off a career-high 16 points in the 69-44 win over Emporia State last Thursday. He is the top scorer off the bench for FHSU at 7.0 points per game.
Fort Hays State is receiving votes in the NABC Top 25 Poll for the third-straight week. The Tigers started the year ranked No. 16 in the nation, but slipped out of the rankings after an 0-2 start to the season against a pair of strong opponents from the NSIC. Southwest Minnesota State, who they lost to in the season opener, is currently in the Top 25. FHSU has a record of 10-2 since their season-opening trip to Minnesota.
By holding three-straight opponents under 50 points, Fort Hays State has moved into the national lead in scoring defense at 58.6 points allowed per game. They led NCAA Division II in that category last year when they held teams to 57.9 per game. The Tigers are also strong nationally in turnovers and field goal percentage defense. They rank fourth in turnovers per game, committing just 9.4 per game, and rank sixth in field goal percentage allowed to opponents at 37.9 percent.