By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State claimed a tight battle with Lincoln University on Saturday (Jan. 6) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers improved to 11-3 overall, 6-2 in the MIAA, with a 69-64 win. Lincoln moved to 9-4 overall, 4-3 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State had to withstand several runs from Lincoln throughout the game to hold one by the tight margin. FHSU opened the game on an 11-3 run, thanks two a three-point play by Kaleb Hammeke and eight straight points by Bjarni Jonsson, including two 3-point field goals. The Tiger lead topped out at eight twice in the opening half, occurring again at the 9:38 mark up 22-14. From that point, Lincoln went on an 11-2 run to take its first lead at 25-24 and led once more before Jonsson hit another 3-point field goal just before halftime to put the Tigers up 31-29. At the break, Hammeke (15) and Jonsson (13) had combined for 28 of the team’s 31 points.
Lincoln scored the first basket of the second half to get the game tied, but FHSU went on a 7-0 burst from that point, triggered by a baseline jumper from Traejon Davisfollowed by five straight points from Hammeke. However, Lincoln would counter with a 12-5 run to get the game tied again at 43-43 with about 11 and a half minutes to play. FHSU took the lead again and then used an 8-0 run from the 9:47 to 7:38 marks to produce the game’s only double-figure advantage of 10 points. It was part of a larger 13-2 run.
Lincoln would not go away though, trimming the lead back down to just three after a pair of timely 3-point field goals. Both teams then had four-point runs and then traded baskets as the lead sat at just three with 2:42 to play. DJ Richardson made things very uncomfortable when he hit a step-back baseline jumper for LU with 40 seconds to play, trimming the lead to just one. However, Traejon Davis lifted the Tigers back to a three-point advantage on a key drive to the bucket that he put in after his man blew by on defense. FHSU fought off a three-point attempt from nearly 30 feet and the ball went out of bounds off Lincoln. Jaheim Holden, who had a huge second half with 13 points after the break, sealed the game on a pair of free throws with just three seconds remaining.
Hammeke, Jonsson, and Holden combined for 58 of the team’s 69 points. Hammeke led the way with 24 on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and an 8-of-8 effort at the free-throw line. Jonsson had a new career-high 18 points, hitting a new career-high four 3-point field goals in the game. He was an efficient 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 at the charity stripe. Holden was 5-of-7 from the field, made his only 3-point field goal attempt, and went 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. Davis (6) and Elijah Nnanabu (2) were the only other Tigers to score in the game. Hammeke also led the Tigers in rebounds (7) and assists (6).
Richardson led Lincoln with 20 points, followed by Elijah Farr with 19. They both had a team-high five rebounds. Franck Yetna also scored in double figures for Lincoln with 15.
Lincoln made one more 3-point shot than FHSU, but FHSU held a 16-8 scoring advantage at the free-throw line. The teams nearly combined for a perfect day at the free-throw line, FHSU going 16-of-17 and LU 8-of-8.
The win kept Fort Hays State a perfect 13-0 against Lincoln all-time at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Lincoln only has two wins in history in Hays, both before Gross Memorial Coliseum was built.
Fort Hays State remained one game back of Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings, but now has sole possession of second place. The Tigers will play their next three games on the road, starting with a trip to Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State next week.
Women
The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team knocked down nine 3-pointers in a 74-62 victory over Lincoln Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6). It was the most made 3-pointers by the Tigers at home in more than one year (nine vs. Newman, 12/18/22).
With the win and other results from around the conference, the Tigers (12-2, 6-2 MIAA) move back into a tie for first place in the MIAA standings.
Fort Hays State jumped out to a quick start, hitting more than 50 percent from the floor in the opening quarter (8-of-15) to build an eight-point lead. The Tigers went to Olivia Hollenbeck early and often, with the junior forward scoring eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in the first frame.
The Tigers led by as many as 11 early in the second quarter before Lincoln (5-8, 1-6 MIAA) grabbed all the momentum with a 15-0 run, the longest run given up by FHSU this season. Jessie Sallach broke up the stretch with a 3-pointer, ending a scoring drought of 6:39 and making the halftime score 26-25 in favor of the Blue Tigers.
Sallach’s triple kickstarted a 13-point FHSU run, with Sydney Golladay and Ellie Stearns matching her effort with 3-pointers of their own. The Tigers bounced back from their poor shooting second quarter, hitting 50 percent from the floor in the third (8-of-16) and 75 percent in the final stanza (6-of-8).
Fort Hays State led the rest of the way, including going up by as many as 16 early in the fourth quarter on a Kate Dilsaver driving layup, 53-37. Lincoln mounted a rally down the stretch, with the Blue Tigers hitting 61.5 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter (8-of-13) and closing within two possessions with three minutes to go. The Black and Gold Tigers put the nail in the coffin by taking care of business at the free-throw line, with FHSU hitting 9-of-10 from the charity stripe in the final quarter to seal the win.
Hollenbeck led the way with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting while adding two blocks on defense, helping the Lincoln, Neb. native move into third in blocks and 19th in points on the all-time lists at FHSU.
Golladay was one assist shy of her first career double-double, with the point guard totaling 11 points and a career-best nine assists alongside two steals. The junior knocked down multiple 3-pointers for the second game in a row.
Katie Wagner contributed 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, allowing the Maize, Kan. native to climb into ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU and into sole possession of seventh on the rebounds chart.
The Tiger defense forced 16 Lincoln turnovers, with FHSU turning those into 17 points. The Tigers made the most of six offensive rebounds, scoring 10 second-chance points.
Fort Hays State will head out on the road for its next three contests, beginning Thursday (Jan. 11, 5:30 p.m.) in Joplin, Mo. against Missouri Southern.