FHSU Athletics
#16 Fort Hays State (0-2)
vs. South Dakota School of Mines (0-4)
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 • 7:00 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball plays host to South Dakota Mines on Tuesday in its home opener at Gross Memorial Coliseum for the 2024-25 season. The Tigers enter at 0-2 overall, while the Hardrockers come to Hays with an 0-4 record. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Tigers had a tough opening weekend in Minnesota back on November 8th and 9th. FHSU fell to Southwest Minnesota State 68-62 in its season opener, then fell to Concordia-St. Paul the following day 82-68. Both Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul remain undefeated for the season, among six teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference still unbeaten this season. The Tigers have had a week and a few days off to prepare for their home opener.
The Hardrockers took a pair of losses to NCAA Division II schools from Texas in their opening weekend before most recently falling to Augustana and MSU Moorhead of the NSIC this past weekend. MSU Moorhead is one of those six aforementioned unbeaten NSIC teams, currently holding the No. 4 ranking in the nation.
Fort Hays State owns a 3-0 record against South Dakota Mines all-time. The last time the teams met was in 2014-15, when FHSU claimed a 91-62 win in Hays. Every meeting between the schools in series history have been played in Hays.
Four-time All-MIAA and two-time all-region selection Kaleb Hammeke leads the Tigers in scoring so far this season at 13 points per game. Hammeke is at 1,585 points for his career, now up to fourth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU. Shaun Riley is coming off a double-double performance against Concordia-St. Paul of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Traejon Davis (11.5), Riley (11.0), and Kyle Grill (10.0) are also averaging double figures in scoring for the Tigers so far.
Fort Hays State is looking to avoid its first 0-3 start since the 2020-21 COVID season. FHSU has won its home opener each of the last three seasons, going back to the 2021-22 season.