FHSU Athletics
#22/RV Missouri Western (7-1, 2-1 MIAA)
at Fort Hays State (6-2, 2-1 MIAA)
Saturday, December 9 •– 4 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball will face a second-consecutive NABC ranked opponent on Saturday when it hosts Missouri Western at 4 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers enter at 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA, while the Griffons are 7-1 overall and also 2-1 in the MIAA. Missouri Western is currently ranked No. 22 in the NABC Top 25.
The Tigers are coming off a 57-49 win over No. 17 ranked Northwest Missouri State on Thursday night. The victory snapped a long 16-game losing streak to the Bearcats that dated back to the 2012-13 season. The result also snapped a six-game string of losses to NABC ranked opponents inside of Gross Memorial Coliseum.
The Griffons are coming off their first loss of the season, a 93-90 loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night. UNK broke a tie at the buzzer by hitting a half-court shot. Missouri Western is 4-1 this season in games decided by four or less points.
Fort Hays State and Missouri Western are currently in a five-way tie for third in the MIAA standings. Only two teams remain unbeaten in MIAA play, which includes Central Oklahoma (3-0) and Emporia State (2-0).
Fort Hays State leads the all-time series with Missouri Western 37-19. The Tigers and Griffons split their regular season series in 2022-23 with the Griffons taking a seven-point win at home before the Tigers claimed a 27-point win in Hays. Kaleb Hammeke averaged 20.5 points in the two meetings last year, while Elijah Nnanabu scored 15 in both contests. JaRon Thames led the Griffons in scoring in both meetings, averaging 14.0 points.
Hammeke continues to lead the Tigers in scoring this season at 14.5 points per game. Nnanabu adds 11.1 per game, while R.J. Crawford averages 10.9 per game. Crawford led the Tigers in scoring in the win over Northwest Missouri State on Thursday night with 16 points. Shaun Riley (5.4) and Traejon Davis (5.3) head the Tigers in rebounds per game, while Hammeke dishes out an average of 3.8 assists per game.
Thames is the top scorer for the Griffons so far this season at 16.9 points per game. Julius Dixon (14.6), Zion Swader (12.6) and Taye Fields (11.6) also average double figures for MWSU. Fields is the top rebounder at 9.6 per game and ranks second in the MIAA.