FHSU Athletics
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Fort Hays State made a strong second-half comeback, but came up two points short in a 66-64 loss at Northeastern State on Thursday night. The Tigers moved to 15-7 overall and 7-6 in the MIAA, while the RiverHawks improved to 12-9 overall and 5-7 in the MIAA.
Down 14 with 8:00 to go in the game, the Tigers outscored the RiverHawks 21-9 down the stretch and had a chance to tie or win the game with the final possession. However, a driving layup as time expired was off the mark allowing the RiverHawks to survive the late Tiger rally. FHSU cut the lead down to two three times in their late surge and down to one with 19 seconds remaining before falling just short.
The Tigers slowed the potent NSU offense to under 70 points for just the third time this season. However, a few more made free throws were the difference in the game as NSU finished with 14 and FHSU had 11.
Fort Hays State's largest lead of the night was six points early on at 10-4 before NSU countered with an 11-0 run. The Tigers led one more time in the first half at 25-23 before NSU closed the half on a 9-3 burst to lead 32-28. The RiverHawks played well enough on offense early in the second half to build a lead that proved too much to overcome.
Kyle Grill led the Tigers with 18 points, while Muhamed Kante was key in the late run and finished with 11. Dan Mukuna also reached double figures with 10. Juju Ramirez pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds and Kante dished out a team-high three assists.
Ethan Blackmon led the RiverHawks with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Nehemiah Weber, AJ Reed, and Xavier Glenn all had 10 points. NSU snapped its eight-game losing streak to FHSU, picking up its first win over the Tigers since the 2019-20 season. They also snapped a three-game losing streak to the Tigers on their home floor.
Fort Hays State looks to snap its three-game skid overall at No. 25 ranked Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday (Feb. 7). Tipoff is set for 3 p.m., the first-ever meeting between the teams in Fort Smith.