FHSU Athletics
#14/25 Fort Hays State (20-5, 15-4 MIAA)
vs. Pittsburg State (15-9, 11-7 MIAA)
Thursday, February 22, 2024 • 7:30 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: High Plains Farm Credit
National Anthem: Fort Hays Singers - Terry Crull, conductor
Promotions: FHSU Student Night - prizes given away to students throughout the evening
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Duck Toss - Donate to BBBS for a chance to win BIG in a duck toss at halftime of the men's game
Halftime Entertainment: Jackie Creamer's The Dance Studio performance at both halftimes
Fort Hays State plays the first of three straight home games to close out the regular season on Thursday night against Pittsburg State. The Tigers enter the game 20-5 overall and 15-4 in the MIAA, ranked No. 14 in the latest NABC Top 25 Poll and No. 25 in the D2CSC Poll. The Gorillas are 15-9 overall and 11-7 in the MIAA. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
This game is a matchup of second and third-place teams in the MIAA. FHSU sits alone in second in the MIAA standings, two games back of conference leader Northwest Missouri State. Pittsburg State is currently in a three-way tie for third, three-and-a-half games back of FHSU for second. Fort Hays State is now one win away from locking up a top-two seed in the MIAA Tournament.
Fort Hays State is looking to even the regular season series with Pittsburg State after falling in Pittsburg 74-62 earlier this season. The Tigers were within two points of the Gorillas with three minutes to go, but fell cold on the offensive end and saw the Gorillas end the game on a 10-0 run. That snapped a three-game win streak by the Tigers in the series. FHSU has won the last two meetings between the teams in Hays.
The Tigers enter this game on a four-game win streak, which matches their longest of the season. They had won four in a row twice before this season and try to extend the third occurrence into five Thursday night. FHSU's current run of four wins includes home victories over Newman and Central Oklahoma two weeks ago, and road victories over Lincoln and Central Missouri last week. FHSU held the opposition to less than 50 points in three of those four games.
Pittsburg State was on a six-game heater until seeing their streak snapped last week in a three-point loss at Missouri Southern. That six-game win streak allowed the Gorillas to move up into the upper echelon of the MIAA standings, sitting neck-and-neck with Washburn and Rogers State in third.
By holding opponents inside of 50 points in both wins last week (Lincoln-41, Central Missouri-47), the Tigers dropped their nation's best scoring defense average to 56.4 points per game allowed. The Tigers are 3.5 points per game better than Northwest Missouri State's 59.9 per game that ranks second. FHSU has held opponents inside of 50 points 11 times this season and inside of 60 points 14 times. The MIAA boasts five of the nation's top-15 scoring defenses, which also includes Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, and Lincoln.
Kaleb Hammeke is just 10 points away from another major milestone, nearing 1,500 career points. He already has over 400 assists in his career, so he is looking to become the third player in program history with at least 1,500 points and 400 assists. The past Tigers to accomplish the feat include Raymond Lee and Mark Wilson. Hammeke leads the Tigers at 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Averaging double figures in scoring alongside Hammeke is Elijah Nnanabu at 12.6 points per game. He reached double figures in eight of the last nine games, with the only exception being an 8-point performance. Shaun Riley, Bjarni Jonsson and Jahiem Holden are all adding at least 7.0 points per game offensively.
Fort Hays State is up to No. 14 in the latest NABC Top 25 Poll, which is their highest ranking in that poll since the 2011-12 season when they reached No. 8 on January 3, 2012.With the win last week at Central Missouri, the Tigers secured their 12th 20-win season under head coach Mark Johnson. Johnson's teams have been a model of consistency in his 23-year tenure, averaging 19.5 wins per season since he began guiding the program in 2001-02.