FHSU Athletics
Missouri Western (8-10, 4-8 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State (13-6, 8-5 MIAA)
Thursday, January 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. – Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: KJLS (103.3)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Game Sponsor: High Plains Farm Credit
National Anthem: O'Loughlin Elementary
Promotions: Pink Night & FHSU Center for Student Success/Greek Life Night
Halftime: Jackie Creamer's The Dance Studio
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball begins its nine-game run of MIAA opponents it will meet for a second time this season on Thursday when Missouri Western comes to Hays. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum, which follows the women's contest at 5:30 p.m. The Tigers enter at 13-6 overall, 8-5 in the MIAA, while the Griffons are 8-10 overall, 4-8 in the MIAA.
The Tigers look to even the season series with the Griffons after falling in the first meeting of the season back on January 10 by a score of 62-55 in St. Joseph. The Tigers have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Griffons in Hays. They had a seven-game string of wins over the Griffons from the 2009-10 season to 2018-19 before MWSU picked up a win in Hays during the 2020-21 season. FHSU won the most recent meeting between the teams in Hays 56-42 last season.
Kaleb Hammeke and Elijah Nnanabu combined for 31 of Fort Hays State's 55 points in the contest with the Griffons earlier this season. Hammeke had 16 and Nnanabu had 15. The duo of guards led the Tigers to a win in their most recent contest, a 74-53 win over No. 24 ranked Emporia State in Emporia this past Sunday. Nnanabu tied his career high with 19, while Hammeke added 18.
Hammeke leads the Tigers at 15.9 points per game, while Nnanabu is right on the cusp of averaging double figures at 9.9 per game. Bjarni Jonsson has hit nine of his last 14 3-point field goal attempts, moving his season percentage to 52.5 while averaging 8.5 points per game. Jonsson has nearly averaged double figures in conference games at 9.8 per contest.
Fort Hays State leads the nation in scoring defense once again, allowing 58.1 points per game this season. Southern Nazarene slipped to second with its most recent result, now right behind FHSU at 58.2 per game. The Tigers are also among the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage defense, allowing a 39.2 percent success rate to rank ninth in Division II. The Tigers held opponents to less than 60 points in 11 of 19 games this year, and held the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting from the field 12 times.
Missouri Western has gone on a four-game slide since its win over FHSU on January 10. The Griffons lost at both Newman and Central Oklahoma, then dropped home games to Lincoln and Central Missouri. The Griffons started conference play 3-1 before dropping seven of their last eight conference games. Julius Dixon leads their scoring effort at 12.9 points per game and was true to that average with 13 in the first meeting with the Tigers this season. JaRon Thames, who averages 9.2 for the season, led the Griffons with 15 in the first meeting with the Tigers.