Box Score
 
The FHSU men's basketball team fell to Southwest Baptist for the second time this season by a score of 66-61 on Thursday evening (Feb. 16) in Bolivar, Mo. The Tigers also fell by five to the Bearcats in Hays earlier this season by a nearly identical score of 68-63. FHSU is now 16-7 overall and 10-7 in the MIAA.
 
The Tigers held a three-point lead of 30-27 at halftime, but could not hold off the Bearcats. Karron McKenzie and Moses Dayee provided nearly all the offense for the Tigers in the first half, scoring 27 of the team's 30 (McKenzie with 15 and Dayee with 12). Matt Simmons was the only other Tiger with points at the half with three, all on free-throws.
 
The lead traded hands several times early in the second half and the Tigers enjoyed their last lead of the game at 44-43 with 10:10 remaining. SBU took the lead for good at the 8:23 mark on a Jake Littrel 3-pointer. That sparked a brief 7-0 run for the Bearcats.
 
FHSU pulled back within three at 53-50 with 4:34 remaining. The Tigers could not get any of their next three shot attempts to fall, which included a couple of 3-point attempts by Omar McDade. A pair of free-throws by Ryan Dougherty of SBU at the 2:33 mark pushed the lead back to five. Littrel put a dagger in the Tigers on a 3-point field goal with 58 seconds left to put SBU up eight.
 
FHSU went cold from the field at the worst time, going without a field goal from the 6:08 mark all the way down to 32 seconds remaining in the game. FHSU buried three 3-point field goals inside 32 seconds remaining to get within three with three seconds remaining, but a pair of free-throws by Dougherty of SBU put the game on ice for the Bearcats.
 
Both teams struggled from the field, with FHSU shooting 39.1 percent and SBU shooting 37.3 percent. Offensive rebounds and points off turnovers were the key for SBU, as they outscored FHSU in second-chance points 7-1 and outrebounded FHSU 40-33, which included a margin of six in offensive rebounds. SBU outscored FHSU 13-5 on points off turnovers and won the turnover battle, committing just 10 to Fort Hays State's 14.
 
The Staten Island, N.Y., combo of McKenzie and Dayee went on to score over two-thirds of the Tigers' points, combining for 42. McKenzie had 22 on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, which included a 7-of-8 effort at the free-throw line. Dayee hit 6-of-11 3-point field goal attempts and buried a pair of free-throws for a career-high 20 points. No other Tigers reached double figures and Matt Simmons pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.
 
Dougherty finished with 16 points for SBU after not scoring at all in the first half. Robson Memnon scored all 13 of his points for the Bearcats in the first half. Daveion Zellner also reached double figures with 12 points.
 
Fort Hays State remains in fifth place in the MIAA standings after the loss, but Southwest Baptist and Pittsburg State have each climbed back within a half game of the Tigers. Both SBU and PSU are at 10-8 in the conference. FHSU and PSU meet Wednesday (Feb. 22) in Hays, a game that could have major implications on seeding for the MIAA Tournament.
 
Fort Hays State visits the second-place team in the MIAA on Saturday (Feb. 18), Missouri Southern, which sits at 21-5 overall and 13-5 in the MIAA. The Lions are ranked No. 16 in NCAA Division II. FHSU is 1-1 against ranked teams this season, with that one loss being to Missouri Southern in Hays earlier this year when the Lions were No. 14 in the nation. Game time is set for 3 pm in Joplin, Mo.