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The 10th-ranked FHSU men's basketball team looks to get back on track after its first loss of the season when it faces Missouri Western on Saturday (Dec. 10) at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Tipoff is set for 4 pm. The Tigers (7-1, 1-1 MIAA) will have their hands full once again as the Griffons (6-3, 1-2 MIAA) are fresh off an upset win over No. 1 ranked Missouri Southern this past Wednesday.

Missouri Western played FHSU very close in two of the three meetings between the teams last year. Fort Hays State won last year's meeting in Hays 79-63 and then edged the Griffons 86-85 in the first round of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, which the Tigers went on to win. Missouri Western knocked off the Tigers in St. Joseph last year 78-77, after FHSU started the year 9-0. Several key pieces of Missouri Western's lineup from last year returned this year.

Fort Hays State looks to keep pace with the upper half of the conference standings as just one team remains unbeaten in conference play through just three games, that being Northwest Missouri State at 3-0 in the MIAA and 8-0 overall. With the win against No. 1 Missouri Southern on Wednesday, Missouri Western avoided starting conference play 0-3 and enter this contest looking to get back to .500.

Fort Hays State's top two scorers, Karron McKenzie and Tyrone Phillips, were each held to just five points in the loss to Washburn on Wednesday. McKenzie leads the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, while Phillips averages 13.3 points per game.

Matt Simmons continues to lead the MIAA in rebounding at 10.9 per game. He has pulled down 11 or more rebounds in five of eight contests this year. He is also the team leader in assists (3.3) and leads the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio (2.9).

Despite shooting their worst percentage of the year in the loss against Washburn, Fort Hays State is still second in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 49.2 percent.