FHSU Athletics
Saturday, November 15
#9 Southwest Minnesota State at (RV) Fort Hays State • 2 p.m.
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Sunday, November 16
(RV) Concordia-St. Paul at (RV) Fort Hays State • 2 p.m.
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State will host a pair of NSIC schools in the MIAA/NSIC Challenge to open the 2025-26 season this weekend (Nov. 15-16) at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. The Tigers play No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday (Nov. 15) at 2 p.m., then face a Concordia-St. Paul team receiving votes in the national rankings on Sunday (Nov. 16) also at 2 p.m. FHSU enters the weekend receiving votes in the national poll as well.
Fort Hays State will be looking to avenge a pair of losses to the same opponents it opened the 2024-25 season with. Last year, Southwest Minnesota State hosted the conference challenge in Marshall, Minn. The Mustangs defeated the Tigers 68-62. A day later, Concordia-St. Paul topped FHSU 82-68. FHSU, Southwest Minnesota State, and Concordia-St. Paul all eventually went on to compete in the Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the end of the 2024-25 season, hosted by Washburn. FHSU lost to MSU Moorhead and SMSU lost to Winona State in the opening round, while Concordia-St. Paul won its opening round game against Minot State before falling to Washburn in the regional semifinals.
Southwest Minnesota State has won the last two meetings with Fort Hays State and leads the all-time series 4-3. Those last two meetings were on their home floor in Marshall. Fort Hays State's last win over SMSU was in 2017-18 in Emporia, Kan. by a score of 85-66. The Tigers won the only meeting between the teams in Hays, which was back in 2015-16 when FHSU pulled out a one-point thriller 76-75. The win in Emporia and the win in Hays makes FHSU 2-0 against SMSU in the state of Kansas.
Southwest Minnesota returns all but one player that played in the game against Fort Hays State last year. Aaron Stevens had a big performance for the Mustangs with 29 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Grill led the Tigers with 15 points in that game.
Fort Hays State will be seeking its first win over an NABC top-10 ranked team at home since the 2007-08 season, when it defeated a No. 8 ranked Southwest Oklahoma State squad 54-51. Fort Hays State's last win over an NABC Top 25 ranked team at home and overall was last year against a No. 22 ranked MSU Denver squad by a score of 66-50 on December 20, 2024.
Concordia-St. Paul won the first-ever meeting with FHSU last year in Marshall, Minn. FHSU returners Kyle Grill, Dan Mukuna, and Muhamed Kante combined for 19 points in that game. The Golden Bears, like the Tigers, return only one regular starter from last year's team. Only two players that played in the game against FHSU last year return to this year's CSP squad.
Kyle Grill is the lone returning regular starter for the Tigers from last year's team. He earned an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection in 2024-25, as well as MIAA All-Tournament Team honors helping the Tigers to the conference tournament championship.