BY TRISTAN SASSE
Fort Hays State University led from the beginning in the First Round of the MIAA Tournament against the Lindenwood Lions on Tuesday, February 27. After a 14-2 home record in the regular season, the No. 7 seeded Tigers opened up the conference tournament with a 71-65 home victory over No. 10 seed Lindenwood.
Fort Hays climbed out to an early lead and led by as many as 10 points in the first half. FHSU cruised into halftime with a 29-22 advantage.
The Tigers shot 44.4% in the first half while holding the Lions to 33.3%. Additionally, Fort Hays’ bench outscored Lindenwood 12-0 in the opening half. Both teams had three turnovers in the first half, but FHSU won the rebounding battle 16-14.
The second half appeared to be much closer than the first, as Lindenwood was able to keep the deficit within single digits for the majority of the half. The Lions pulled within two points with just over two minutes remaining in the contest, but FHSU was able to hold on for a 71-65 win.
On the night, Fort Hays shot 50% from the field, while Lindenwood finished at 41.9%. The Tigers finished 16-of-20 at the free throw line after not attempting a single one in the first half. FHSU had 27 rebounds in the game, while the Lions ended with 25. Also, the Tigers had 18 assists but were only able to force five turnovers.
Hadley Gillum led Fort Hays with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Gillum became the ninth player in program history with 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds. Additionally, Trey O’Neil added 16 points, while Brady Werth finished with 14 points.
For the Lions, Brad Newman had a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Jackson Price added 20 points, while Adam Pohlman finished with 11 points and three assists.
Up next, FHSU (18-11) will travel to Kansas City, Missouri and face the No. 2 seed in the MIAA, the Missouri Southern Lions (20-8 overall, 15-4 in the MIAA) in the Quarterfinals from Municipal Auditorium. Missouri Southern enters the MIAA Tournament on an 8-game win streak. Meanwhile, Lindenwood finished its season at 16-13.