FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State’s offense sputtered in the second half, ultimately leading to Southwest Baptist hitting a last-second 3-point field goal to escape Gross Memorial Coliseum with a win. The Bearcats took the game by a score of 56-54, the second time the Tigers have lost on a last-second shot at home this season. FHSU is now 9-5 overall, 3-3 in the MIAA, while SBU went to 9-5 overall, 2-3 in the MIAA.
Southwest Baptist has been a thorn in Fort Hays State’s side in Hays of recent years, winning three of the last five meetings at Gross Coliseum. The last two wins for SBU in the building have been on buzzer-beaters. In 2014-15, the Bearcats got a shot off in the lane just before the buzzer to win by two as well. In 2011-12, the Bearcats won by five. In all three of the wins, SBU entered the building with a sub-.500 record in MIAA play.
Neither team shot the ball well overall, the Tigers at a season-worst 34.5 percent from the field, while the Bearcats shot their second-worst percentage of the season at 36.2 percent. The lead changed hands 10 times in the first half with neither team leading by more than four. Overall, the game saw 17 lead changes and was tied four times. Fort Hays State eventually led by four at halftime, 30-26.
The Tigers had no offensive punch out of halftime, giving up a 14-0 run in the first 4:58 of the second half. But a Hadley Gillum jumper at the 15:02 mark snapped the run and started a big run for the Tigers as the Bearcats went ice cold. The Tigers came all the way back with an 11-0 run to take a 41-40 lead at the 8:14 mark.
A Brady Werth bucket at the 5:08 mark pushed the Tigers in front by four, but the Bearcats remained relentless and used a 7-0 run to take the lead back by three, 50-47. The Tigers needed a big shot and Trey O’Neil connected with a 3-pointer to knot the score at 50-50 with 1:17 remaining.
Kai Woodfall pushed the Bearcats back in front with a 3-pointer just under a minute to go, but Kyler Kinnamon responded with a layup to cut the SBU lead to one. SBU went to the free-throw line with 19 seconds remaining, missed, then Kinnamon drove the length of the floor to can a layup with 13 seconds remaining, putting the Tigers back in front 54-53. He was fouled on the layup and had a free-throw to potentially push the lead to four, but he missed, capping an 0-of-3 day at the line for him.
Off the miss, Southwest Baptist scrambled around the perimeter looking for an open man until Cartier Dean had to hoist up a deep 3-pointer from the right wing that unfortunately rattled home with 0.8 seconds left. A Rob Davis desperation 3-quarter court attempt was offline to the left as the Bearcats escaped Hays with the win.
Davis was held to single figures in scoring for the first time this season, going just 3-of-12 from the field and 1-of-2 at the free-throw line for eight points. Brady Werth had a career-high 13 points to lead the Tigers, one of the efficient bright spots offensively at 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. He was the only Tiger in double figures, while adding a team-high eight rebounds.
Rebounding was key for the Bearcats, where they outperformed the Tigers 44-35. With his last-second bucket, Dean became the leading scorer for SBU with 11, while Brian Patterson added 10. Dean was 3-of-4 beyond the 3-point line.
The Tigers now enter a three-game road swing with Nebraska-Kearney as the only opponent slated next week on Thursday (Jan. 12) at 7:30 pm.