BY TRISTAN SASSE
On Friday, November 10, the Fort Hays State University men’s basketball team traveled to Emporia, KS to open the season with the No. 15 Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. Strong shooting by the Tigers led to a 85-66 victory over the Mustangs.
The victory for the Tigers marked their first win over a ranked team since December 17, 2015 against Central Missouri, who was also ranked No. 15.
FHSU shot 52.4% from the field in the season opener, including nearly 65% in the first half. The Mustangs were held to 41.1% from the field. Fort Hays also made 13 of 14 free throws on the night. The major highlight of the game was a 17-0 early second half run by the Tigers. FHSU led by as many as 25 in the contest.
Fort Hays evenly distributed the basketball Friday night, with 26 assists and 50 points in the paint.
The Tiger bench also played a major role, accounting for 35 of the 85 total points. Five Tigers ended in double figures on the night. Payton Stephens led all reserves with 15 points, while Aaron Nicholson added 11 of his own off the bench.
For the starters, Marcus Cooper finished with 14 points and Brady Werth had 12. Hadley Gillum ended with 10 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double.
Tomorrow, Fort Hays will look to continue their winning ways in Emporia against Sioux Falls. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30.