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Fort Hays State plays its final regular season road game on Saturday (Feb. 18) at No. 16 ranked Missouri Southern. Tipoff is set for 3 pm at the Leggett & Platt Center in Joplin, Mo. FHSU enters the game at 16-7 overall and 10-7 in the MIAA, while Missouri Southern is 21-5 overall and 13-5 in the MIAA.

The Tigers are coming off a loss on the first leg of the two-game road swing at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night by a score of 66-61. Karron McKenzie and Moses Dayee scored over two-thirds of the Tigers' points in the game, combining for 42 (McKenzie with 22 and Dayee with 20). Southwest Baptist gained the season sweep of the Tigers with the win and pulled within a half game of the Tigers in the MIAA standings.

Fort Hays State lost to Missouri Southern earlier this year in Hays by a score of 82-71 when both teams were ranked in the Top 15 nationally. FHSU was No. 8 at the time and MSSU was No. 14. The 82 points surrendered to Missouri Southern was a season high for points allowed by the Tigers. FHSU has allowed over 70 points just five times this season in 23 games. The Tigers are third in the MIAA in scoring defense, allowing 64.4 points per game.

Fort Hays State has dropped its last two road games, but still has a winning record on the road this year at 6-4. FHSU is 5-4 in MIAA road games this year. FHSU has lost the last two meetings with Missouri Southern in Joplin, with the last win occurring in 2008-09.

Fort Hays State is alone in fifth place in the MIAA standings, but now has both Pittsburg State and Southwest Baptist breathing down its neck, each just a half game back. FHSU is 10-7 in the MIAA, while PSU and SBU are each 10-8.

This match-up features two teams in the first set of South Central Region Rankings. Missouri Southern is No. 6 in the region and Fort Hays State is No. 10.

Moses Dayee leads the Tigers in scoring average at 11.7 points per game. He poured in a career-high 20 points at Southwest Baptist on Thursday, scoring 18 of those 20 on six 3-point field goals. Karron McKenzie is averaging 11.4 points per game and scored over 20 points in a game for the third time this season at SBU on Thursday with 22.

Matt Simmons continues to lead the MIAA in rebounds per game (9.6) and blocked shots per game (2.0). He has pulled down 11 rebounds in each of the last three games and produced double-doubles in the two wins last week in Hays.