Story by MAYAN PAZ Photo by ANNABELLE MALSAM
Tiger Media Network
Throughout the year, the FHSU men’s basketball team has had ups and downs, win streaks and disappointments, but after the regular season wrapped up, the Tigers earned the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament, securing a first-round bye along the way. FHSU (19-9, 12-7) will play the Central Missouri Mules (15-14, 9-10) in today’s quarterfinal round.
Graduate guard and first-team All-MIAA selection Kaleb Hammeke spoke about the benefits of having the bye-round.
“It’s nice to have the day off to watch the other teams play and then also know that they have to play back-to-back against us afterward. We just need to be ready on Thursday,” he said.
Going into the tournament, the Tigers have found a rhythm. They have won six of their last eight games, which gives them confidence ahead of the tournament. The offensive groove is going to be important for the Tigers, as when they played the Mules earlier this season, they had one of the lowest-scoring games in the program’s history, losing 41-31.
FHSU Head Coach Mark Johnson spoke about the offensive improvement over the last part of the season and the importance of the defense as well.
“We shot the ball better recently, but we’ve also got to be able to guard and limit the other team and slow them down. And then, hopefully, we shoot the ball well,” he said. “You have to be a good defensive team if you’re going to be successful. Obviously, it’s really nice to have both. I think we’ve got a little better offensively and again; hopefully, we gain some confidence and we go to Kansas City and shoot the ball well, we feel like we have as good a chance as anybody.”
The games will be played in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, an arena that can host over 10,000 spectators. Johnson said playing in that arena is one of the best experiences you can get in Division II basketball and that is a fitting venue to host the conference tournament for the MIAA, one of the best conferences in the nation.
The Tigers, ranked second, are going into the tournament with some expectations, but Johnson tries to keep himself focused and to move one game at a time.
“We are moving game by game. Nothing changes. The big thing you have to understand as a team is that this game is no different. Even though it’s postseason, you play every game like we do in the regular season, how we practice it,” he said. “We do the same things, we take the same shots, we have the same mindset, and don’t make it bigger than what it is, but just make sure that we’re playing with a heightened sense of urgency because it’s win or go home. But you still do the same things you do every day.”
FHSU and UCM will play at 2:15 today at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.