By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State takes a 12-4 overall and 6-1 MIAA record into the NCAA Division II Showcase Game at Washburn on Saturday (Jan. 19). The Tigers enter on a four-game win streak, fresh off an 82-71 comeback win over Emporia State on Wednesday night. Both teams have just one loss in MIAA play as Washburn enters at 12-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA. Washburn is No. 24 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 Poll, but unranked in the NABC Poll. The men’s game is scheduled to begin at 3 pm, but start time depends on the length of the women’s game that starts at 1 pm. Both the women’s and men’s games are part of the NCAA Division II Showcase.
NCAA Division II Showcase Viewing Locations
MIAA Network – Fans with a subscription package will still be able to see the game live on the MIAA Network
Facebook – Free viewing on fhsuathletics or NCAADivisionII accounts (Video will be live on both accounts)
Twitter – Free viewing on @NCAADII
Television – Spectrum Sports in the Kansas City area will rebroadcast the games on tape delay. See listings for times.
Fort Hays State set a new program record for three-point field goals made in an MIAA contest on Wednesday night by hitting 17. The previous best for the Tigers in an MIAA game was 16 on January 23, 2008 against Central Missouri. It was also the most three-point field goals made by the Tigers under head coach Mark Johnson, coming just two shy of the school record 19 set by the 1995-96 national championship team.
Aaron Nicholson became the ninth Tiger in history to hit seven three-point field goals in a game, while scoring a career high 24 points against Emporia State on Wednesday night. The last Tiger to hit at least seven in a game was Rob Davis on February 1, 2017 (also at Emporia State), who reached at least seven three times in his career. Jared Vitztum hit six shots from beyond the arc for all 18 of his points in the game as he combined with Nicholson for 13 of the team’s 17 three-point field goals.
With the win at Emporia State, head coach Mark Johnson secured the 100th road win of his career at Fort Hays State. Johnson has a career record of 353-165, with 230 wins at home, 100 on the road, and 23 in neutral site games.
Another note of significance in the 11-point win over the Hornets, it was the largest second-half comeback for the Tigers since the 2010-11 season when the Tigers rallied from 19 down at the half at Truman State University to win by seven. FHSU trailed by 15 following the first basket of the second half by ESU on Wednesday evening before going on a 39-12 run to build a 12-point lead.
Fort Hays State looks to snap a three-game losing streak to Washburn. All three of those losses were last season when the Ichabods won a pair of regular season meetings and then a showdown in the MIAA Tournament semifinals. FHSU won only one of the last seven meetings between the teams in Topeka, which happens to be the last win in the overall series for the Tigers, occurring on February 4, 2017 by a score of 70-54.