Fort Hays State men’s basketball looks to push its win streak to three games on Tuesday when it travels to Newman University in Wichita, Kan. This will be the first true road game of the season for FHSU, which enters the game at 2-2 overall. Newman is at 2-0 overall with both wins over MIAA opponents.
Newman is off to a good start this year after home wins over Emporia State and Washburn to start the year. The Jets played at Wichita State on Sunday in what they were able to claim as an exhibition and lost that game by 48 to the 11th-ranked team in NCAA Division I. Fort Hays State will have its hands full with a team that plays well in its home venue. Two years ago, the Tigers lost by two at Newman, but defeated the Jets last year 96-87 in Hays. The Tigers are looking for their first win over a NCAA Division II opponent this year after losing to both Upper Iowa and Minnesota State-Moorhead the first weekend of the season.
The Tigers are coming off two blowout wins at home this past week over NAIA opponents Central Christian and Bethel. The Tigers defeated Central Christian 84-42 on Wednesday and Bethel 103-54 on Saturday. After struggling defensively in the first weekend of the season, the Tigers now lead the MIAA in field goal percentage defense, allowing just 37.7 percent shooting from opponents for the season.
Craig Nicholson leads the Tigers at 14.8 points and 6.3 assists per game this season. He dished out a season-high 12 assists in the win over Bethel this past weekend. He is the only FHSU player averaging double figures in scoring, but six other players are averaging at least 7.5 points per game so the offense is distributed well throughout the team. Jake Stoppel leads the Tiger effort on the glass, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game.