Box Score

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team never trailed in a 74-68 win at Truman on Saturday (Jan. 26) in Kirksville, Mo. A 51.9 percent shooting effort by the Tigers, including 52.9 percent beyond the 3-point line, was a recipe for success in a much needed road win to move to 11-6 overall and 5-4 in the MIAA. Truman moved to 7-11 overall and 4-6 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State jumped on top 5-0 to start the game, but Truman tied the game twice at 13-13 and 16-16 before FHSU went on a 9-0 run to build a nine-point lead to go up 25-16. The lead grew to 10 at the 5:09 mark of the first half before Truman trimmed the lead back to five by halftime at 30-25.

Truman had the opening basket of the second half, a 3-point field goal to cut the lead to two, but FHSU went on a 10-3 run to push the lead back to nine fueled by back-to-back 3-point field goals from Ben Congiusta. Truman pulled within five two more times before the FHSU lead moved back to 10 points with 11:43 to play. FHSU would eventually lead by 12 three times, the last occurring on a 3-point field goal by Lance Russell with 3:02 remaining, but Truman made it interesting down the stretch.

The Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead down to five points with just under a minute to play. The Tigers would hold off the Bulldogs by going 7-of-8 at the free-throw line with under a minute to play, which included a 6-of-6 effort from Craig Nicholson in the final minute. He was 8-of-8 at the line for the game. A pair of three-point field goals by Tom Norton pulled the Bulldogs within four twice, but Nicholson's final pair of free-throws with nine seconds remaining sealed the win.

Nicholson, the MIAA leader in assists, led Fort Hays State with 18 points and nine helpers. Lance Russell, Ben Congiusta, and Dwayne Brunson were all better than 50 percent from the field. Russell finished with 15 points, Congiusta and Brunson each had 14. Marty Wendel had a big game off the bench with eight points, including a pair of key buckets in the second half to push the FHSU lead up to 12 points each time.

Mike Carlson led Truman with 18 points, followed by Tom Norton with 15 and Seth Jackson with 10.

Fort Hays State returns to Hays for a four-game home stand, starting with Central Oklahoma on Wednesday (Jan. 30) at 7:30 pm. FHSU moved into a tie for fifth in the MIAA standings with Pittsburg State and Lindenwood with the win on Saturday.