FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State had every result from Wednesday night games break its way and now has a chance to clinch a bye to the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament on Thursday night (Feb. 25) in Tahlequah, Okla. The Tigers take on Northeastern State at 7:30 pm at the NSU Event Center.
In a scenario that looked very likely that the Tigers would have to win two games to assure a bye for the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, everything changed on Wednesday night when Lindenwood, Washburn, and Emporia State all lost. With two games to play, the Tigers can punch their ticket to Kansas City with one win and avoid falling into any tiebreaking possibilities.
Fort Hays State (18-8 overall) sits at 12-8 in the MIAA and is two games clear of Pittsburg State and Lindenwood in the loss column of the MIAA standings. Pittsburg State and Lindenwood are now tied for fifth at 11-10. Losses by Washburn and Emporia State on Wednesday shrunk Fort Hays State’s potential seeding possibilities to anywhere from No. 2 to No. 6 in the conference tournament. FHSU remains only a game back of second place in the standings heading into Thursday night.
The Tigers are also looking to protect their position in the NCAA Regional Rankings, sitting at No. 4 for the second straight week. The Tigers look to remain high enough in the rankings to avoid the bubble of the top eight entering the conference tournament.
Fort Hays State is not the only team with plenty to play for on Thursday night. Northeastern State (8-16, 7-13 MIAA) needs a win to jump back into in a three-way tie for 11th in the conference standings. With Missouri Western and Central Missouri each winning on Wednesday night, the RiverHawks need a win to avoid staying in 13th (only the top 12 make the conference tournament).
The Tigers enter Thursday’s game on a three-game win streak. FHSU won a pair of crucial home games last week over Lindenwood and Lincoln. The Tigers defeated Northeastern State in Hays earlier this year by a score of 84-74.
Craig Nicholson moved to sixth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU with 22 points on Senior Day (Feb. 20) against Lincoln. He now has 1,394 in his career. He is the third-highest scorer in NCAA Division II history at FHSU, only behind Alonzo Goldston and Dennis Edwards.
Rob Davis continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 17.5 points per game. Dom Samac averages 14.0 points per game and Jake Stoppel adds 11. Nicholson leads the MIAA in assists per game, averaging 5.0 per contest.