FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (15-7, 8-5 MIAA)
at Emporia State (8-15, 5-9 MIAA)
Thursday, February 13 • 7:30 p.m.
Emporia, Kan. • White Auditorium
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Fort Hays State begins a quick two-game road swing in Kansas this week with Emporia State on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at White Auditorium. The Tigers enter at 15-7 overall, 8-5 in the MIAA, while the Hornets are 8-15 overall, 5-9 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State is coming off a pair of wins at home this past week over Northeastern State and Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Tigers held their opponents to an average of 50.5 points last week, lowering their nation's leading scoring defense to 58.6 points per game. The Tigers are the only team in NCAA Division II holding teams to an average of less than 60.Emporia State is coming off a road win at Missouri Southern last Saturday. The Hornets have won four of their last six games and the two losses in that stretch were by six or less points.
Fort Hays State won the first meeting this season with Emporia State by a score of 69-44 in Hays back on January 9. It was one of seven games this season FHSU held an opponent to 50 or less points. Kaleb Hammeke broke the career scoring record at FHSU in that game with 12 points, passing Alonzo Goldston (1,766 pts). Hammeke is now at 1,883 points. Dan Makuna led the Tigers in scoring that evening with 16 points, while Kyle Grill also reached double figures with 10 points. Malik Edwards was the top scorer for ESU with 10 points.
Fort Hays State has won the last four meetings with Emporia State, part of a stretch where FHSU has won 10 of the last 12. Emporia State's last win in the series was in Hays in 2020-21 by a score of 68-66. The last win for ESU on its home floor against FHSU was in 2019-20 by a score of 69-66. The Tigers have won nine of the last 10 meetings between the schools in Emporia, which goes back to the 2011-12 season.
Aside from being the nation's top scoring defense, FHSU ranks third nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.0) and seventh nationally in field goal percentage defense (.393). The Tigers lead the MIAA in both of those categories, as well as 3-point field goal percentage defense (.307).
Kaleb Hammeke (14.7), Kyle Grill (12.1), and Shaun Riley (10.0) lead the Tigers in scoring. Riley is the top rebounder at 6.7 per game, while Hammeke is the top assister at 4.1 per game.
The Hornets have four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Edwards at 13 points per game. Ahrman Lewis, Brayson Laube, and Karyiek Dixon all average at least 10 per game.