FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State (12-5, 7-4 MIAA) at
Washburn (6-9, 3-6 MIAA)
Wednesday, January 18 - 7:30 PM
Topeka, Kan. - Lee Arena
Radio: KJLS (103.3)
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Fort Hays State Men's Basketball will play two road games this week in Kansas, starting with Washburn on Wednesday night (Jan. 18) in Topeka. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Lee Arena. FHSU enters at 12-5 overall, 7-4 in the MIAA, while Washburn is 6-9 overall, 3-6 in the MIAA.
The Tigers are coming off a tight two-point home win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. Kaleb Hammeke hit a game-winner for the Tigers with six seconds remaining. Washburn is coming off a 30-point win at Pittsburg State on Saturday to snap a two-game losing skid. Washburn has not won back-to-back games since wins over Augustana and William Jewell back on November 12 and 16.
Last season the Tigers snapped a six-game losing streak to the Ichabods that dated back to the 2017-18 season. FHSU won the only meeting between the teams in Topeka by a score of 68-58. The Tigers and Ichabods have split the last four meetings in Topeka. A pair of Washburn wins were bookended by FHSU's win last year and a 70-54 win during the 2016-17 season.
Fort Hays State sits alone in fifth place at the midway point of its conference schedule. The Tigers are only a game back of third place in the standings and face third-place Emporia State later this week. Washburn currently sits in 11th, one game back of Central Missouri for 10th.
Fort Hays State continues to lead NCAA Division II in scoring defense, allowing just 57.5 points per game. Southern Nazarene of the Great American Conference is right on their heels at 57.6 per game. The Tigers have held 10 of 17 opponents to less than 60 points this season. Northeastern State was the only team to score more than 70 points in a game against the Tigers so far this season, which was an overtime win for the Tigers in Hays.
Kaleb Hammeke continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 16.1 points per game. He has reached double figures in 15 of 17 games this season. Traejon Davis is coming off a perfect shooting effort in the win over Nebraska-Kearney, a game in which he was 5-for-5 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line for 15 points. He leads the team in field goal percentage at 56.5 percent for the season. The Tigers have eight players averaging at least five points per game.
Washburn has a pair of players averaging double figures in scoring for the season, led by Andrew Orr at 13.1 per game. The Ichabods have had an everyone-chip-in offensive attack this season as well with 10 players averaging at least five points per game.