Fort Hays State has plenty to play for on Friday night (Mar. 1) at home against Lincoln University. The Tigers must win to secure a first-round bye in the MIAA Tournament and would give them a chance to possibly share the MIAA Regular Season Championship with Central Missouri, pending the outcome of Central Missouri at Washburn on Saturday. The Tigers also look to improve their position in the regional rankings, ranked No. 9 in the latest set released on Wednesday (Feb. 27), which puts them on the bubble for the eight teams selected.
The MIAA has been highly competitive throughout the year and three byes to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament are still up in the air as teams play their final games of the regular season this weekend (Fri. and Sat.). Central Missouri is the only team that has secured a bye. The Tigers are currently alone in second place after a win Wednesday night over Missouri Western and remain one game back of Central Missouri in the conference standings. Washburn fell a game back of the Tigers on Thursday night with a loss at Emporia State, but hosts Central Missouri on Saturday. A Washburn win Saturday coupled with a Fort Hays State win on Friday would allow the Tigers to tie for the MIAA crown. But, the Tigers must win on Friday to secure a bye in the MIAA Tournament.
Several teams are lurking right behind the Tigers in the standings and a scenario still remains where a loss on Friday could slip the Tigers all the way to the No. 5 seed in a tiebreaker and FHSU would have to host a first-round game on Monday, pending the outcome of several games on Saturday. However, a win on Friday takes away any chance of that happening and the Tigers would be either the No. 1 or 2 seed in the tournament pending the outcome of the Central Missouri at Washburn game on Saturday.
Fort Hays State enters Friday's game at 18-7 overall, 12-5 in the MIAA, while Lincoln is 3-24 overall, 2-15 in the MIAA. Both of Lincoln's conference wins have been on the road this year, at Nebraska-Kearney and at Northwest Missouri State. Lincoln has the top scorer in the conference in Cedric Ridle, Jr., who averages 20.9 points per game. Fort Hays State is looking to close the regular season on a seven-game win streak at home. FHSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring, including
Dwayne Brunson (15.6),
Lance Russell (13.9),
Craig Nicholson (13.5), and
Ben Congiusta (12.4). Nicholson continues to lead the MIAA in assists at 7.0 per game and ranks second nationally.
Friday also marks senior night for the Tigers as four seniors play in their final regular season home game at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The 2012-13 seniors include
Lance Russell,
Ben Congiusta,
Jason Ball, and
Rundell Mauge.
