FHSU Athletics
Manhattan Christian (1-4) at
Fort Hays State (3-1)
Saturday, November 21 • 6 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Riverside Chiropractic
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Video: The MIAA Network CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)
Fort Hays State returns to action at home on Saturday night when it plays host to Manhattan Christian College. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., which follows the women's contest vs. Tabor College at 5 p.m. FHSU enters this game at 3-1 overall, while Manhattan Christian is 1-4.
The Tigers picked up a 63-44 win in their home opener on Tuesday afternoon against Central Christian in a special afternoon contest that welcomed all elementary and middle school students from Hays. It pushed their all-time mark against Central Christian to 22-0. They look to keep another unbeaten series record intact when they welcome Manhattan Christian on Saturday. FHSU is 2-0 against MCC, with both contests occurring the last two seasons.
FHSU is receiving votes in the latest D2CSC Top 25 Poll. The Tigers were ranked No. 16 in the first edition of the poll released back on November 14, but slid down after taking their first loss of the season at MSU Denver this past Sunday (Nov. 19). However, since MSU Denver knocked off two ranked teams in a row, they moved into both the NABC and D2CSC Top 25 this week with a 4-0 record on the season.
Fort Hays State won its contest with Manhattan Christian last year by a score of 95-40, posting nearly identical margins in both halves. FHSU led 48-20 at halftime, then outscored MCC 47-20 in the second half. Kaleb Hammeke, who leads the Tigers in scoring so far this year at 15.3 points per game, produced a team-high 22 points and seven assists in that game. FHSU has held Manhattan Christian to 40 points or less in both previous meetings between the schools.
Bjarni Jonsson led the Tiger effort in the 19-point win over Central Christian on Tuesday with 16 points and nine rebounds. Hammeke dished out a team-high six assists. R.J. Crawford is the only other Tiger besides Hammeke averaging double figures in points so far this season at 11.0 per game. He has scored at least nine in all games this season.
Manhattan Christian's only win this season was against the Central Christian squad the Tigers just defeated on Tuesday. Dyelan Reed leads the Thunder in scoring at 14.8 points per game in regular season contests. He is one of three players on the team that averages double figures in scoring. This will be the fourth straight exhibition game for Manhattan Christian after it fell to NCAA Division II members Missouri S&T, Wayne State (Neb.), and Newman University. Newman won the most recent contest on Tuesday by a score of 87-65. This game counts as regular season for FHSU.
This will be the last game for the Tigers before they enter MIAA play on November 30 at Northeastern State. Bethel College (Dec. 13) will be the only non-conference game remaining on FHSU's schedule following Saturday's contest.