FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State held a five-point lead with just under 10 minutes to play, but No. 11/11 Central Oklahoma hit six of its final nine shots from the field spearheaded by a big effort from Cam Givens to escape Hays with a win, 66-61. It snapped Fort Hays State's 12-game home court win streak going back to last season. FHSU is now 7-3 overall, 2-2 in the MIAA, while UCO moved to 9-1 overall, 4-1 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State opened up the game on a 9-2 run as Gilbert Peters provided instant offense out of the gate with eight points. However, Central Oklahoma chipped away and used an 11-4 run to get the game back to even at 13-13 with 12:13 remaining. The Bronchos took their first lead at the 10:24 mark and went on to lead by six twice before an 8-3 burst by the Tigers at the end of the half to get the UCO lead down to one at the break. A gritty defensive effort on a loose ball from Elijah Nnanabu provided a fast-break dunk for Haggan Hilgendorf right before the horn.
Central Oklahoma held onto its lead until Fort Hays State went on an 11-1 burst to go from five down to five up with 11:39 to play. Gabe Pieschl triggered the run by hitting a short baseline jumper off an inbounds pass from Kaleb Hammeke. Then Hammeke took advantage of a fast-break opportunity and took the ball all the way to the hold to get the lead back down to one. After UCO hit one of two free throws, Hammeke buried a step back 3-point field goal with just under 13 minutes to go to give the Tigers their first lead since the 10:05 mark of the first half. Pieschl extended the run with another tough shot in close and then Geoff Hamperian capped the run with a stick back layup off a missed jumper.
The FHSU lead reached five for the second time when Hammeke buried another 3-point field goal, but then Givens of UCO stole the show the rest of the way to lead his team to victory. Right after Hammeke's big make, Givens splashed a long 3-point jumper from several feet beyond the arc to get the FHSU lead back to two. Curtis Haywood II hit a jumper to tie the game, then Givens buried another three to give UCO a 3-point lead, then hit a turnaround jumper on the baseline to extend the lead to five with 6:40 to play. Givens had eight within UCO's 10-0 run.
The Tigers had the UCO lead back down to one about a minute later, but then two free throws and then another 3-point make by Givens had the Bronchos back up five with just 2:49 to play. A 3-point play by Nnanabu got the Tigers back within two again, but then Haywood hit a jumper to keep the Tigers from getting back to even. A pair of free throws by Givens with 18 seconds remaining put the game out of reach before the final margin settled back at five.
Peters was the top scorer for the Tigers with 15 points on a 6-of-12 effort from the field and a 3-of-4 clip at the free-throw line. Nnanabu finished with 12 and Hammeke had all 11 of his points in the second half. Pieschl was just one point shy of double figures with nine. Peters, Pieschl and Hilgendorf all pulled down five rebounds for FHSU, while Hammeke led in assists with four.
Givens finished with a game-high 24 points, and dished out a team-best four assists for UCO. He also tied for top rebounding honors with seven, matching Haywood who finished with 15 points. Jaden Wells added 13 points to give the Bronchos three players in double figures. The trio accounted for 79 percent of the UCO scoring effort. UCO finished at 51.1 percent from the field.
The Tigers look to bounce back on Sunday when they host Newman University at 4 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.