By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State turned in a very efficient effort on Saturday, defeating Nebraska-Kearney 71-56 at the Health and Sports Center. The Tigers shot 63 percent from the field overall, led by as many as 25, and as the nation’s top scoring defense held another opponent inside 60 points. FHSU moved to 15-3 overall and 10-3 in the MIAA, while UNK moved to 7-12 overall and 3-10 in the MIAA.
The Tigers torched the nets in the first half at a 69.6 percent rate, going 16-of-23 from the field. They carved up the Loper defense getting to the basket several times for close range looks and still went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, UNK scored 21 of its 26 first half points on 3-point field goals, but otherwise the FHSU defense held them to just 32.1 percent shooting overall. Put those together and the Tigers had a 14-point lead at halftime, 40-26.
The Tigers continued to pull away in the second half and took their lead out to 25, 58-33, with 11:17 to play. Eventually the Lopers cut the lead back down to 14, but it was too big of a mountain to climb on their home floor. The Tigers coasted to a 15-point win, finishing at a season-best 63 percent overall from the field (29-of-46). It set a new season high in field goal percentage for the second-straight game after hitting at a 54.9 percent clip at Missouri Western.
The Lopers had a hard time defending Kaleb Hammeke, who finished with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field with four made free throws added in. Jared Vitztum followed with 15 points and Nyjee Wright reached double figures with 10. Gilbert Peters gave the Tigers a big spark off the bench in the first half, finishing a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line for eight points.
Nebraska-Kearney finished with 13 made 3-point field goals, the most given up in a game by the Tigers this season. However, without much inside presence the Lopers scored 70 percent of their points beyond the arc. They only had one made free throw on two attempts in the game. Parker Badding and Sean Murphy each had four made 3-point shots. Badding finished with a team-high 16 points and Murphy had 14. All but one of the six Lopers that scored in the game hit at least one 3-point field goal.
The win gave the Tigers their first in the Health and Sports Center since the 2012-13 season. After the teams split the season series the last four years, the Tigers finally picked up a regular season sweep against the Lopers since that 2012-13 season.
The Tiger win also puts head coach Mark Johnson one win shy of 400 in his career guiding the Tigers, now at 399-200 overall.
The Tigers return to action on Thursday evening (Feb. 3) at Newman University, the third leg of their current string of four straight road games.