BY TRISTAN SASSE
PHOTO COURTESY OF FHSU ATHLETICS
Looking for a berth in its first MIAA championship game since 2011, the Fort Hays State University men’s basketball took on Washburn in the Semifinal Round of the MIAA Tournament. The No. 7 seeded Tigers started slow and were never able to regain their composure, as the No. 3 seed Washburn Ichabods cruised to a 77-53 win. FHSU was held to a season-low 53 points and fell to 0-3 against the Ichabods on the year.
After the loss, Fort Hays State University Head Coach Mark Johnson mentioned how tough Washburn is to face.
“Washburn played well defensively and really got after us,” said Johnson. “We knew going in that Washburn was our toughest matchup.”
Game Recap
The Tigers scored the first basket of the game, but Washburn answered with a 9-0 run. With 13 minutes left in the opening half, the Ichabods held a 14-4 lead. FHSU started 2-for-10 from the field and turned the ball over five times. Midway through the first half, Fort Hays cut the deficit to five points with a 5-0 run.
Moments later, back-to-back baskets by Washburn extended its lead back to eight. The Ichabods led 19-14 with seven minutes remaining in the half. Washburn answered with an 8-0 run to increase the lead to 13, at 27-14. The Ichabods ended the half with a 10-0 stretch and held a commanding 41-20 advantage heading into halftime. Washburn ended the half on a 22-6 run.
The Ichabods shot 57.1% in the opening half while holding the Tigers to 29.2%. Additionally, Washburn outrebounded FHSU 19 to 10, forced eight turnovers, and scored 24 points in the paint.
Hadley Gillum led the Tigers with eight points in the first half, despite picking up two early fouls. Kyler Kinnamon followed with six points, while Marcus Cooper added four points and four rebounds.
For Washburn, David Salach led the Ichabods with 12 points and four rebounds. Brady Skeens added 11 points, three rebounds, and two steals, while Javion Blake had nine points.
Early in the second half, Washburn continued to stroll and extended the lead to 49-22. Gillum received his fourth foul with 15 minutes remaining. Halfway through the second half, the Ichabods extended the advantage to 29 points but FHSU connected on back-to-back threes. With 10 minutes left, Washburn maintained a sizeable 59-35 lead.
With nine minutes to play, Gillum fouled out in his last game as a Tiger. In the ensuing minutes, the Ichabods held a steady 24-point lead. Less than seven minutes remained and FHSU still trailed 65-43. Washburn was able to coast in the final minutes and advance to the MIAA Championship with a 77-53 victory.
For senior forward Hadley Gillum, it still hasn’t sunk in yet that he played his final game in a Tiger uniform.
“It’ll probably set in next season when I’m watching these other guys play,” said Gillum. “Fort Hays ended up being the best place for me.”
Junior forward Brady Werth enjoyed having Gillum as a teammate during his time at FHSU.
“(Hadley) has a big heart for the game,” said Werth. “He’s a great teammate to have.”
By the Numbers
On the night, the Ichabods shot 50.9% from the field, while holding the Tigers to 30.6%. Additionally, FHSU was outrebounded 38-26. Washburn had 14 assists and nine turnovers, while Fort Hays finished with 13 turnovers and six assists. Also, the Ichabods outscored the Tigers in the paint, 46 to 10.
Gillum and Werth led FHSU with 10 points each. Meanwhile, four Tigers finished with six points (Kinnamon, Trey O’Neil, Jared Vitztum, and Aaron Nicholson).
For the Ichabods, Skeens finished with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Salach added 14 points, Blake had 13 points, and Tyas Martin followed with 12 points and five rebounds.
Looking Ahead
The No. 3 seeded Ichabods (22-8) will take on the winner of No. 1 Northwest Missouri State (25-3)/ No. 4 Central Oklahoma (20-9) in the MIAA Championship on Sunday, March 4 at 3:30 PM from Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Meanwhile, FHSU finishes its season at 19-12.
Although the Tigers’ season ended in defeat, Coach Johnson was still proud of his team.
“We want to be the team competing for a title,” said Johnson. “But I think this group got the most out of themselves that they possibly could have and I’m proud of what they accomplished.”