By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Fort Hays State used a very strong defensive effort to knock off Northeastern State in the MIAA opener Thursday night (Nov. 30) at the NSU Event Center. Aside from NSU scoring the first points of the contest, FHSU led for the final 36 minutes on its way to a 65-43 victory. FHSU improved to 5-1 overall, 1-0 MIAA, while NSU moved to 4-2 overall, 0-1 MIAA.
The Tiger defense was sound all night, giving the RiverHawk offense fits right out of the gate. By the first media break just over six minutes into the game, FHSU had an 8-2 lead while forcing six turnovers and holding NSU without a field goal. NSU pulled back within three of FHSU five times in the opening half before a Kaleb Hammeke 3-point field goal a few seconds before the buzzer put the Tiger lead at 28-22.
The Tigers had the first possession of the second half and immediately pushed their lead to nine when Elijah Nnanabu splashed a three pointer. The lead reached double figures for the first time when Hammeke converted an old-fashioned 3-point play on a fast-break opportunity. NSU trimmed the lead back to seven with about 12 and a half minutes to play, but Hammeke took over by scoring the next four points on a pair of drives to the bucket to get the lead back out to 11.
Hammeke pushed the lead to 13 on a pull up 3-point shot as time was winding down on the shot clock. The RiverHawks answered with a three of their own to get the lead back to 10 with 7:41 to play, but that would be their final field goal of the game as the Tigers locked them down defensively the rest of the way. Hammeke answered the three with another three of his own from the right wing and the Tigers went on to put the game away. In the final 7:40 of the contest, FHSU forced five more turnovers and held NSU to 0-of-5 shooting from the field. The Tigers held the RiverHawks to just 27.3 percent shooting from the field in the second half and 37.5 percent overall for the game.
Hammeke finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. He was 3-of-5 beyond the 3-point line and 3-of-3 at the free-throw line. Nnanabu finished with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, while Shaun Riley had a workmanlike 10 off the bench on a 5-of-6 effort from the field. Traejon Davis led the Tigers with nine rebounds, as they outrebounded the RiverHawks by seven. Hammeke added a team-high three assists to his scoring effort.
Ethan Blackmon was the only NSU player to reach double figures in scoring with 14 points. Anthony Allen had five rebounds and Jaxon Jones had four assists.
FHSU forced NSU into 19 turnovers overall, while committing just 11. That allowed FHSU to have 15 more field goal attempts in the game. FHSU made 12 more field goals in the game than NSU (27 to 15).
It was the third-straight meeting in Tahlequah the Tigers held the RiverHawks inside 60 points. It was also the lowest amount of points the Tigers have ever yielded to the RiverHawks to in the all-time series history, which FHSU now leads 17-7.
The Tigers look for another strong effort at Rogers State on Saturday (Dec. 2) in Claremore. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Rogers State enters the game at 2-2 overall after a win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.