Northeastern State (12-11, 7-10 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State (17-4, 12-4 MIAA)
Saturday, February 12 - 4 pm
Hays, Kan. - Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)
LISTEN LIVE
Game Sponsor: Nex-Tech
National Anthem: Plainville Band
Promotions: FHSU Foundation 20-year donor event and FHSU Athletics Student Academic Recognition
Halftime Performances: Tiger Debs and Styles Dance
FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball plays the second of three home games in five days on Saturday when it hosts Northeastern State. Tipoff is set for 4 pm, which follows the women's contest at 2 pm. The Tigers enter at 17-4 overall and 12-4 in the MIAA, while the RiverHawks are 12-11 overall and 7-10 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State is coming off a 62-47 win over Rogers State on Thursday night. The win pushed FHSU's home record to 11-2 this season, with the only losses being to teams currently in the Top 25 of both the NABC and D2SIDA polls. Jared Vitztum tallied a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Kaleb Hammeke had 13 points and Traejon Davis added 11. Gabe Pieschl recorded a career-high four steals in the contest.
The Tigers are looking for a season sweep of the regular season series with the RiverHawks after winning 59-53 earlier this season in Tahlequah on New Year's Day. Vitztum had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds in that game. It was Vitztum's high mark in scoring for a game this season.
Northeastern State is coming off a win at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night. NSU enters this game winners of its last two, which included a one-point home win over Washburn back on an old-fashioned 3-point play with four seconds remaining. Emeka Obukwelu leads NSU in scoring at 16 points per game, followed by Christian Cook at 15 per game and Rashad Perkins at 12 per game.
Fort Hays State lowered its season scoring defense average to 58.8 points per game allowed. FHSU and Miles (Ala.) are the only two NCAA Division II schools allowing less than 60 points per game on average and Miles is the national leader at 55.9 per game. FHSU has limited opponents to less than 60 points in 15 of 21 contests this season. The 47 points allowed to Rogers State on Thursday night was the second-lowest allowed to an MIAA opponent by the Tigers this season. FHSU held Nebraska-Kearney to 46 points earlier in the season in Hays.