Box Score

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team held on for a 77-72 win over Central Missouri on Wednesday (Dec. 5) in Hays in the first MIAA contest of the season. The Tigers buried their final six free-throw attempts of the game to hold off the Mules. FHSU moved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the MIAA, while Central Missouri moved to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA.

The game was tight all night long as neither team could ever build a double-digit lead. Fort Hays State's largest lead of the night was eight points at the 15:17 mark of the second half, but Central Missouri went on a 6-0 run to quickly get back in the game and held with the Tigers throughout the rest of the game. Central Missouri never led by more than two points in the game, with its final two-point advantage occurring with 9:58 remaining.

The Tigers used a 6-0 burst to move back in front by four.  The lead traded hands four times until the Tigers took the lead back for good at the 4:42 mark on a pair of Andrew Victoria free-throws, who was playing in his first game of the season after recovering from a preseason injury. The lead changed a total of 14 times in the game and the score was tied eight times.

Craig Nicholson and Lance Russell, a pair of Wichita products, carried the Tigers home from that point. Nicholson scored five of the final nine points, while Russell buried the final four free-throws of the game for FHSU. Central Missouri had a chance to tie the game down three with under 10 seconds remaining, but a Dominique Long turnover dashed any hopes for the Mules tying the game. Russell put the game on ice with a pair of free-throws with 4.9 seconds remaining. Fort Hays State's final seven points of the game were on free-throws. The Tigers finished 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the charity stripe for the game.

Nicholson finished with a season-high 22 points for the Tigers on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, which included a 3-of-4 effort from beyond the 3-point line, and a 3-of-5 effort from the free-throw line. He also finished with a team-high seven assists.

Ben Congiusta finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, which included a 4-of-7 effort beyond the 3-point line. He added six assists. Russell finished with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

The Tigers shot 49.2 percent from the field and 42.1 percent beyond the 3-point line for the night. Central Missouri stayed in the game with timely 3-point shooting, hitting 11-of-28 attempts. The Mules shot 45.5 percent from the field overall.

Reggie Stallings, who had six 3-point field goals, led the Mules with 19 points. He was 6-of-11 beyond the arc. Dominique Long and Charles Hammork finished with 13 points each and Widgett Washington finished with 12 points and nine assists.

Fort Hays State hits the road for another conference game this weekend at Missouri Western on Saturday (Dec. 8). Game time is set for 3:30 pm.