By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball looks to even its MIAA record on Saturday (Dec. 7) when heads to rival Emporia State. The Tigers dropped their first MIAA contest of the season at Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday and enter at 4-3 overall, 0-1 in the MIAA, while the Hornets are 6-3 overall, 1-0 in the MIAA. Tipoff is at 3:30 pm inside White Auditorium.
Since a 2-0 start in Arkansas, the Tigers have been in a lose-win pattern for the last five games. FHSU fell at Colorado School of Mines, defeated UC-Colorado Springs, lost to Southwest Baptist, defeated Sterling, and then lost at Nebraska-Kearney. This game will mark the conclusion of a stretch where the Tigers play away from home in seven of the first eight contests of the season. Sterling has been the only home opponent for the Tigers this season.
The Tigers look to continue their good fortune at White Auditorium, where they have won the last seven meetings with Emporia State. The Hornets’ last win on their home floor over the Tigers was during the 2010-11 season. The teams have met there every year since, except for the 2015-16 season when they only met in Hays. FHSU claimed an 82-71 win in Emporia last year to claim a regular-season sweep of the series for the second-straight year. Since the loss at Emporia in 2010-11, FHSU is 13-2 against the Hornets overall (which includes one neutral site meeting) with the two losses occurring in Hays.
Four players are averaging double figures in scoring for FHSU, led by Devin Davis at 12.1 per game. He had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds against Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday. He averaged 6.5 assists per game over the last two contests as well.
Guards Jumah’Ri Turner and Keyon Thomas lead the Emporia State scoring effort so far this year. Turner averages 14.9 points per game and Thomas averages 14.2 per game.