JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State built 11 point leads in the first and second half Saturday against Lincoln but couldn’t hold on in a 74-71 overtime loss to end their five-game win streak. The Tigers (12-12, 5-10 MIAA) fall two games back of the Blue Tigers (10-14, 7-8 MIAA) and remain in ninth-place tie with four games to play.
The Tigers used a 15-4 run to build their first 11 point lead on a Gilbert Peters dunk with 7:38 to play in the first half. Peters scored all of 10 points in the first half and pulled down seven rebounds.
After seeing their lead trimmed to seven at halftime, FHSU quickly built it back to 11 less than four minutes into the second half but Lincoln responded with a 26-11 run over the next 12 minutes to go up 59-55 with a little over four minutes to play.
Fort Hays State used a 7-0 run capped by a Calvin Harrington three to take a 62-59 lead with 2:25 to play. The Tigers missed a layup with just under two to play and Lincoln countered with a fast-break dunk from Jonell Burton. The Tigers turned the ball over on their next possession and Lincoln hit one of two free throws to tie the game 62-62 with just over a minute remaining.
A turnover on their next possession led to a go-ahead basket by the Blue Tigers with 28 seconds remaining but Aaron Nicholson hit a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to play to tie the game up then Lincoln missed a shot in the corner near the end of regulation.
The Blue Tigers scored the first four points of the overtime only to see the Tigers answer with four of their own to tie it 68-68. The Tigers forced a Lincoln miss with two minutes to play but a turnover led to a layup which gave Lincoln the lead for good. The Tigers missed a shot on their next possession then Lincoln made a pair of free throws to go up four with 1:26 to play.
Calvin Harrington’s three closed the gap to 72-71, then after a stop on the other end, the Tigers missed a layup with 30 seconds left. Lincoln hit a pair of free throws and the Tigers missed a pair of shots before the final horn.
Jared Vitztum scored a career-high 24 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Tigers.
Jonell Burton led Lincoln with 21.
The Tigers shot 41-percent from the field and were 5-of-21 from three. Lincoln, who came into the game as the second worst overall and worst 3-point shooting team in the MIAA, connected on 50-percent from the floor and went 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.