FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (10-3, 5-2 MIAA)
vs. Lincoln (9-3, 4-2 MIAA)
Saturday, January 6 • 4 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: Redeem Designs
Promotions: Retro Day - Retro t-shirt giveaway (first 250 fans) and retro concession prices ($1 popcorn and soft drinks)
The Fort Hays State men's basketball team closes out its weekend homestand with Lincoln University on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, which follows the women's contest. FHSU enters at 10-3 overall, 5-2 in the MIAA, while Lincoln is 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State notched a 61-51 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night to remain one game behind Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings. Lincoln is just a half game back of FHSU after a 90-67 win at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.
Fort Hays State holds a 20-10 advantage in the all-time series with Lincoln. FHSU has won five straight games in the series going back to the 2020-21 season. FHSU swept the regular season series between the teams last year, winning 66-53 in Jefferson City and 59-57 in Hays. Kaleb Hammeke hit a turn-around buzzer-beating shot in the left corner last year to lift FHSU to the two-point win in Hays. FHSU has won the last 12 meetings with Lincoln in Hays. Lincoln's last win in Hays occurred during the 1968-69 season.
Fort Hays State continues to own the nation's top scoring defense at just 56.6 points allowed per game. They increased their lead in the category by holding UCM to 51 on Thursday night, now at 3.5 points per game better than Alaska-Anchorage (60.1). The MIAA currently has four teams among the top 10 nationally for scoring defense, which also includes Northwest Missouri State (3rd, 60.6), Central Oklahoma (4th, 61.7), and Central Missouri (9th, 63.7).
Fort Hays State has also made it tough for their opponents to hit shots this season, currently ranking second nationally in field goal percentage defense. FHSU has held the opposition to 37.2 percent shooting from the field this season, only behind Lander University at 36.8 percent. FHSU has held nine of 13 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field this season.
Kaleb Hammeke leads FHSU at 14.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. Shaun Riley leads the Tigers in rebounding average at 5.4 per game and is coming off a season-high 16 points in the win over Central Missouri on Thursday night. Elijah Nnanabu is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 10.6 points per game. Hammeke (17), Riley, and Nnanabu (13) were the three Tigers that scored in double figures in the win over Central Missouri.
Lincoln has three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by DJ Richardson at 15.6 points per game. Elijah Farr is one of the three that averages double figures at 12.2 per game and leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 per contest.