FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (9-3, 2-1 MIAA)
at Missouri Western (9-4, 1-2 MIAA)
Saturday, January 4 • 1 p.m.
St. Joseph, Mo. • MWSU Fieldhouse
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: MIAA Network: CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State continues its two-game road swing on Saturday at Missouri Western. Tipoff has been moved up 2 1/2 hours to 1 p.m. due to winter weather forecasted this weekend. The Tigers enter on a five-game win streak with a record of 9-3 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA, while the Griffons are 9-4 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State ended its eight-game winless drought at Northwest Missouri State on Thursday night in dominating fashion defensively. The Tigers posted a 58-39 win over the Bearcats, their largest win ever in Maryville and first at Bearcat Arena since 2013. Northwest Missouri was held inside of 40 points in a game for the first time since the 1959-60 season. FHSU lowered its season scoring defense average to 60.8 per game, which leads the MIAA and ranks sixth nationally. FHSU is now 6-0 this season when holding teams inside of 60 points.
Missouri Western dropped its second-straight game on Thursday night. Nebraska-Kearney escaped MWSU Fieldhouse with 75-69 win, pushing the Griffons a game under .500 in conference play. Missouri Western started the season 8-1, but has lost three of its last four contests, all at home. Missouri Western joined Fort Hays State in the receiving votes section of the latest NABC Top 25 Poll released back on Tuesday.
Fort Hays State owns a three-game win streak over Missouri Western going back to the 2022-23 season. The Tigers swept the regular season series between the teams last year by scores of 73-49 in Hays and 55-40 in St. Joseph. FHSU has won two of the last three meetings with MWSU in St. Joseph and five of the last six overall between the schools.
The Tigers are currently on their longest win streak since the 2022-23 season, when they had a six-game win streak. The Tigers also had a seven-game streak earlier that season. The Tigers lead the MIAA and rank third nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 41.8 percent. The Tigers also lead the MIAA and rank fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per game at 9.3. The Tigers are holding teams to 39.1 percent shooting overall, which ranks 13th nationally.
Kaleb Hammeke is on the verge of a couple more milestones heading into Saturday's contest. He is only one assist from 500 for his career, which would make him the only player in program history with at least 1,700 points and 500 assists. He is only 27 points shy of the all-time scoring record at Fort Hays State of 1,766 points, held by Alonzo Goldston. Hammeke averages 15.0 points and 4.8 assists per game this season.
Kyle Grill ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, while Shaun Riley is third at 11.5 per game. Grill leads the team in 3-point field goals made with 22, while Riley leads the team in rebounding at 6.7 per game.
Zane Nelson leads three Missouri Western players who average double figures in scoring at 16.2 points per game. Zion Swader averages 11.3 and Julius Dixon averages 11.1.