Box Score

Fort Hays State survived overtime on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 8) at Missouri Western with an 84-74 win to move to 5-2 overall, 2-0 in the MIAA. The Tigers nearly gave the game away, up by 10 with 3:33 to play in regulation, but found a way to hold off the Griffons in overtime. Missouri Western dropped to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA.

A rash of careless turnovers down the stretch in regulation led to Missouri Western tying the game on a Reed Mells 3-point field goal with 33 seconds remaining in regulation. Fort Hays State had a great opportunity on a short field goal attempt by Dwayne Brunson late, but it came up short and the Griffons missed a half court depiration attempt at the buzzer.

Carson Konrade put the Tigers up right out of the gates in overtime with a 3-point field goal. Both teams struggled to find the basket for the next couple of minutes until Craig Nicholson had a fast-break layup off a steal by Lance Russell to put the Tigers up five with 2:35 remaining.

The Tigers could not hold their two possession advantage with a defensive breakdown leading to a 3-point play for the Griffons to pull back within two. Nicholson found Brunson on the next trip down the floor for a lay-in on the block to push the lead back to four. The Griffons hit one of two free throws on their next possession to pull within three and got the rebound off the miss on the second shot, but turned it over on a pass that found Brunson's hands underneath the basket.

Nicholson provided the dagger that the Griffons could not recover from when he hit a huge 3-point field goal with 32 seconds remaining to put FHSU up six. Nicholson rebounded a 3-point field goal attempt by the Griffons and was fouled and hit both free-throws to put the game out of reach. The freshman capped his big afternoon with an assist to Ben Congiusta on a break-away layup just before the final buzzer. That assist gave Nicholson a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists, the first double-double of the season for the MIAA leader in assists. The 10 assists was a new season high for Nicholson.

Brunson and Russell led the way for FHSU, each with 18 points. Brunson finished 7-of-11 from the field with a 4-of-4 effort at the charity stripe. Russell was 6-of-9 from the field, which included two 3-point field goals, and a 4-of-5 effort at the free-throw line. Ben Congiusta poured in a new career-high 16 points, going 4-of-8 beyond the 3-point line and 6-of-10 overall. Konrade had 15 with three 3-point field goals included and a 4-of-4 effort at the free-throw line.

Four of the five Tiger starters plus Konrade provided all the scoring in the game for the Tigers. Rundell Mauge was held scoreless and fouled out, and four other players off the bench for FHSU did not score. Congiusta and Konrade led FHSU with seven rebounds each.

The Tigers had another good game shooting the ball, finishing at 52 percent overall (26-of-50), a new season high. It's the third game this year the Tigers have shot at least 50 percent from the field. FHSU also buried a season-high 11 3-point field goals on 25 attempts, going 44 percent beyond the arc. FHSU was also solid at the free-throw line going 21-of-25 (84 percent).

FHSU held Missouri Western to 39.3 percent shooting, which included just a 23.3 percent effort beyond the 3-point line. The Griffons were 67.6 percent from the free-throw line.

The Griffons were led by Alfreeman Flowers off the bench with 19 points. Cedric Clinkscales finished with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Tigers close out December with three consecutive non-conference games. FHSU hits the road again next weekend to play at Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Saturday (Dec. 15), then turns around quick to face Sterling College on Monday (Dec. 17) at home. FHSU then hosts South Dakota Mines nearly two weeks later on December 29. FHSU returns to MIAA play on January 3 at Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla.