FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State fell to Missouri Southern in a competitive battle to open MIAA play on Thursday night (Dec. 1) by a score of 84-81. The lead changed hands several times in the first half, but the Lions held off the Tigers in the second half as FHSU had a late chance to tie the game, but two shots were off the mark. FHSU went to 4-3 overall, 0-1 in the MIAA, while MSSU moved to 5-2 overall, 1-0 in the MIAA.
The lead changed hands seven times in the first half and a 7-0 run had FHSU enjoying a five-point lead at 8:15 on a Rob Davis 3-pointer. The lead eventually grew to six on a Davis 3-point play at the 5:07 mark, but an 11-0 run by MSSU took the lead away and the Lions eventually led by two at halftime. Davis had 16 points by halftime.
The Lions never relinquished the lead in the second half, though it was challenged with the lead trimmed to two twice in the early going. But the Lions steadily built a 10-point lead by the 9:19 mark and the Tigers tried hard to claw back in late. An 8-0 run from the 3:42 to 2:21 marks cut the Lion lead all the way down to one, but a pair of CJ Carr free-throws extended the lead back to three.
Neither team scored in the final 1:48 of the ball game and Fort Hays State had two looks from 3-point range late. A Davis 3-point attempt rattled in and out and a Trey O’Neil attempt came up short trying to tie the game just before the buzzer.
Davis had another big night for the Tigers with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and a 2-of-6 effort beyond the 3-point line. He went 3-of-3 at the free-throw line. Hadley Gillum came alive late, scoring all 14 of his points in the second half. Brady Werth added nine with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. JaQuan Smith was also big on defense with four blocked shots and 12 rebounds. Kyler Kinnamon had a team-high six assists.
The Lions had five players reach double figures in scoring, led by CJ Carr with 19 points and six assists. Elyjah Clark had 16, JJ Cratit 14, Lawrence Brown 12, and Dexter Frisbie added 10.
Fort Hays State outshot Missouri Southern 52.6 percent to 45.8 percent from the field. But the Lions were red-hot beyond the 3-point line at 52.9 percent and made seven more free-throws than the Tigers. The Tigers did themselves no favors by turning the ball over 23 times, compared to 12 for the Lions. That made up for the sizable lead the Tigers had in rebounding, 41-27 for the game.
Fort Hays State looks to rebound and even its conference mark on Saturday (Dec. 3) with a trip to Pittsburg State. The game is set for 3:30 pm.