By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State came up just short in an instant classic defensive battle that went to double overtime at Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (Feb. 3). The No. 24/RV ranked Tigers had chances to win the game in both regulation and overtime, but saw the No. 16/11 ranked Bearcats slip past in the final minute of the second extra frame to extend their home court win streak in regular season games to 25. NWMSU took the contest by a score of 64-61 to split the regular season series between the teams.
The matchup of the nation’s top two scoring defenses lived up to the billing, holding the score in regulation under their season averages. The Tigers made a strong rally late in regulation, finishing on an 8-2 run in the final five minutes to get the game tied at 51-51. Unfortunately, Kaleb Hammeke’s open look from the left wing just before time expired was just off the mark.
The Tigers had a strong start to the first overtime, scoring the first four points to go up 55-51. But, the Bearcats answered with four straight of their own to create another tie. Kaleb Hammeke went strong to the hole with under a minute to play and made a circus scoop off the glass to put the Tigers back up two. Northwest Missouri fumbled the ball away on its next possession and had to foul the Tigers with 18 seconds remaining. Bjarni Jonsson made the front end of a one-and-one, but missed the second. The Isaiah Jackson of NWMSU drove in low with eight seconds remaining and hit the basket with a foul. He made the free throw, tying the game once again. The Tigers came down and struggled get a solid look after fumbling the ball a bit out top. A Hammeke desperation heave right before the horn was off the mark, pushing the game to a second overtime.
The defenses continued to tighten down as neither team scored in the first two and a half minutes of the second overtime. Jonsson broke the tie with a 3-point field goal from the right wing with 2:21 to play. Unfortunately that would be the last bucket for FHSU. Wes Dreamer of NWMSU answered the three with his own on the other end, tying the game at 61-61. Then after FHSU missed on its next possession, Dreamer got the ball in low and scored with a baby hook shot to put the Bearcats up 63-61. The Tigers struggled to get a good look on their next possession and had to foul. Jackson hit one of two free throws for NWMSU to push its lead to three. FHSU’s last-second chance to tie the game fell off the mark.
The game never saw a double-digit lead by either team. The Bearcats had an eight-point advantage of 22-14 in the first half, only to see the Tigers use a 12-6 run to cut the lead to two twice before the Bearcats went into halftime with a 30-26 lead. FHSU’s largest lead was their four-point advantage early in the first overtime.
The Tigers kept the Bearcats close in the second half. They kept chipping away until an R.J. Crawford gave them a 35-34 lead with 16:39 to play in regulation. The lead toggled back-and-forth again right after as Traejon Davis hit a bucket to put the Tigers up with 14:23 on the clock. That was the final lead of the second half by the Tigers before making their late run to force overtime. Northwest Missouri never led by more than six after halftime.
Though the Tigers made five more field goals in the game than the Bearcats and held a seven-point advantage on field goals, points at the free-throw line tilted the way of the Bearcats by 10. NWMSU went 17-of-21 at the line, while FHSU was 7-of-9. The teams shot nearly identical percentages from the field, FHSU at 44.6 percent and NWMSU at 44.4.
Jonsson finished with a team-high 14 points for the Tigers, followed by Elijah Nnanabu with 13 and Hammeke with 11. Jonsson also led the Tigers in rebounds (7) and steals (4), while Hammeke dished out a team-high three assists.
Dreamer finished with a game-high 20 points for the Bearcats, while Bennet Stirtz had 13 and Jackson finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Jackson also led the Bearcats in assists with four.
Fort Hays State remains alone in second in the MIAA standings, now 16-5 overall and 11-4 in the MIAA. Northwest Missouri State now has a two-game cushion in the standings at 17-4 overall and 13-2 in conference play. The Tigers will be back at home next week to take on Newman and Central Oklahoma.