FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State pushed its win streak to five games with an 89-78 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday (Jan. 2). Jake Stoppel scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Tigers while Craig Nicholson returned after missing five games for a near double-double of 12 points and nine assists. FHSU moved to 10-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA while PSU went to 7-6 overall and 2-5 in the MIAA.
FHSU opened the game on a 7-0 run before PSU countered with a 10-0 run to take a 10-7 lead at the 14:04 mark of the first half. That was the only lead PSU enjoyed all afternoon as the Tigers used an 8-0 run to regain the lead at 15-10 and then eventually led by nine at the half, 39-30.
The Tigers opened the second half on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 15 points, but an 11-1 run for Pittsburg State between the 15:07 and 12:15 marks cut the lead to five. The Tiger lead dwindled to four points with 10:26 remaining in the game, but a pair of Rob Davis free-throws and a Trey O’Neil 3-point field goal pushed the margin back to nine. The Gorillas never got closer than seven points the rest of the way as FHSU outlasted PSU in a high-scoring second half, 50-48, bringing the final score to 89-78.
Stoppel had the hot hand for FHSU, hitting 10-of-15 field goal attempts and 4-of-5 free-throw attempts for a career-high 24 points. He added seven rebounds and three assists. Davis had 14 points and Nicholson had 12 while Hadley Gillum and O’Neil reached double figures with 10 each. Dom Samac led the Tigers in rebounds with eight while adding nine points. Four of Fort Hays State’s players had, at least, three assists, led by Nicholson’s nine.
FHSU shot 58.9 percent from the field while recording 24 assists as a team. PSU was held to 43.1 percent shooting for the game.
Trey Starks led the Gorillas in scoring with 20 points while Javis Flynn had 19 and Josiah Gustafson had 17. Flynn led PSU in rebounds (5) and assists (7).
The Tigers host Missouri Southern on Monday night in a battle between two of the top five teams in the conference. Game time is set for 7:30 pm at Gross Memorial Coliseum.