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Fort Hays State, ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II, engages in a battle of Top 15 teams with No. 14 ranked Missouri Southern Monday night (Jan. 9) at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm. Fort Hays State enters the game at 10-3 overall, 4-3 in the MIAA, while Missouri Southern is 12-3 overall and 5-3 in the MIAA.

This is the second straight year that Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern meet in Hays as Top 15 teams. The rankings are nearly identical this year, only with the positions reversed. Missouri Southern was No. 8 and FHSU was No. 15 in last year's game in Hays. Missouri Southern edged the Tigers by one point in that game, 64-63. That win propelled the Lions to the MIAA regular season title last year, but the Tigers got their revenge in the MIAA Tournament championship game, which they won 89-83 to give FHSU its first-ever MIAA Championship of any sort.
 
Both Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern lost games over the past week. Fort Hays State dropped games at Central Missouri and then at home on Saturday against Southwest Baptist. Missouri Southern is also coming off a loss Saturday at Washburn. Both teams enter with three losses overall, but Missouri Southern is a half game ahead of FHSU in the conference standings for third place. Fort Hays State is now tied for fifth in the conference standings with a mark of 4-3 after the loss to Southwest Baptist. Northwest Missouri State is leading the MIAA at 6-1 in conference play and Washburn is second at 5-2. Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State are tied for third at 5-3.
 
Fort Hays State is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since 2007-08, when it lost four in a row in four straight road contests in MIAA play. The current two-game skid is the first since 2009-10, when the Tigers lost back-to-back road contests at Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western. The Tigers went all of last year without losing back-to-back games.
 
Karron McKenzie continues to lead FHSU in scoring at 13.1 points per game. He failed to reach double figures in the loss to Southwest Baptist on Saturday with just five points, but produced a career-high eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds in the game. The Bearcats shutout Tyrone Phillips, the second-leading scorer for FHSU at 10.9 points per game.
 
Kendrick Morse moved his season scoring average back into double figures with a team-high 17 points against Southwest Baptist on Saturday. He is now averaging 10.3 per game. Moses Dayee is also averaging double figures for FHSU at 10.0 points per game.
 
Matt Simmons continues to produce in several facets for the Tigers. He leads the MIAA in rebounds at 9.6 per game, but also does well scoring the ball at 8.5 points per game. He leads the team in field goal percentage (58.8 percent) and blocked shots (1.4 per game), and is third on the team in assists at 2.5 per game.
 
Missouri Southern gets the majority of its scoring punch from its seniors Keane Thomann and Jason Adams, who rank first and third in the MIAA in scoring respectively. Thomann, a 6-foot, 11-inch post player averages 21.7 points per game, while Adams, who is a very athletic guard, averages 19.1 points per game.