FHSU Sports Information Department
BOULDER, Colo. – Fort Hays State had a rough eight minutes to open, but for the final 32 minutes, the Tigers gave the University of Colorado all it could handle on Saturday (Dec. 17). Though it is an exhibition for FHSU, Colorado won by just 10, 81-71, while Rob Davis set a new Coors Events Center record.
After being held scoreless in the opening half, Rob Davis absolutely caught fire in the second half and set a new arena record for points in any half with 29. He went 11-of-16 from the field in the second half after an 0-of-4 effort in the first half. He was 7-of-8 from 3-point range in the second half. Overall, he finished 11-of-20 from the field and 7-of-10 from 3-point range for all 29 of his points. The effort helped the Tigers outscore the Buffs by seven in the second half, 49-42.
Though this game goes down as an exhibition for FHSU, it still counts for CU’s regular season. Therefore, Davis’ record will stand in the CU record books as it broke the old mark of 28 previously held by two players. Cory Higgins of Colorado had 28 against Colorado State in 2008 and Tony Dumas of Missouri-Kansas City scored 28 against the Buffs in 1994.
Aside from an 18-2 run by the Buffs to open the game, the Tigers settled and were outscored by just one until halftime. FHSU opened the game just 1-of-15 from the field (6.7 percent) before heating to 21.9 percent by halftime. Trey O’Neil had eight points to lead the Tigers in the first half, canning two 3-point field goals in the process.
The Tigers torched the Buffs from the field in the second half, largely in part to Davis’ 69 percent effort from the field, at a 57.6 percent rate (19-of-33). After the abysmal start to the game, FHSU still managed to finish at 40 percent overall from the field. The Tigers held the Buffs to 43.1 percent shooting for the game and just 27.3 percent (6-of-22) beyond the 3-point line. FHSU had four more field goals overall, but a 31-9 disparity in free-throws made favoring CU was the big difference in the game.
Hadley Gillum also reached double figures for the Tigers with 15 points. JaQuan Smith had a team-high eight rebounds and Kyler Kinnamon dished out a team-best four assists.
Colorado had three players lead in scoring all with 15, which included Xavier Johnson, Josh Fortune, and Deleon Brown. Wesley Gordon had a team-high seven rebounds, and Derrick White, a two-time NCAA Division II All-America selection at UC-Colorado Springs, led the Buffs in assists with six.
The Tigers take two weeks off before returning to action at home on New Year’s Eve against Kansas Christian College at 4 pm.