HAYS, Kan. - Jared Vitztum scored 20 points and freshmen Quinten Rock added a career-high 19 to help lead Fort Hays State to an 81-76 win over Northeastern State Friday night at Gross Coliseum. The Tigers have won two straight by a combined 11 points after losing their first three by a total of eight.
Rock got a steal on the first possession of the game then scored as the Tigers raced out to an early 8-0 lead. The RiverHawks would pull within 12-11 and eventually take a 39-36 lead late in the half.
Bjarni Jonsson's tip-in late in the half tied the game 39-39 at the break.
After a back-and-forth start to the second half, the Tigers went on a 15-3 run to build a 63-52 lead with just over ten minutes to play. Northeastern would crawl back within one on several occasions, the last at 68-67 with 6:29 to play but Alvin Thompson hit a three to push the lead to four.
Thompson scored 15 points and went 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Kalem Hammeke scored nine of his 10 points in the second half and dished out six assists with no turnovers in 38 minutes of play.
The Tigers close out first semester play Sunday at 4:00 pm against Rogers State.