Lindenwood (8-8, 3-3 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (10-3, 2-3 MIAA) Thursday, January 9, 2014 Hays, Kan. - Gross Memorial Coliseum - 7:30 pm Game Notes I Watch Live I Listen Live I Live Stats Lincoln (2-12, 0-6 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (11-3, 3-3 MIAA) Saturday, January 11, 2014 Hays, Kan. - Gross Memorial Coliseum - 4 pm Game Notes I Watch Live I Listen Live I Live Stats

Fresh off a pair of big road victories, the Fort Hays State men's basketball team looks to continue to vault its way up the MIAA standings with a pair of home games this week against Lindenwood and Lincoln at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. The Tigers (10-3 overall, 2-3 MIAA) face Lindenwood on Thursday (Jan. 9) at 7:30 pm, then face Lincoln on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 4:00 pm.

FHSU swept the road swing to Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist for the first time since joining the MIAA in 2006-07. The Tigers look to use the momentum they have built after a tough start in conference play and carry through with a pair of key home games this week. FHSU entered the road trip to MSSU and SBU 13th in the conference standings and have climbed to ninth. A win on Thursday would push the Tigers all the way into a tie for sixth. A pair of wins this week would put the Tigers back within striking distance of several teams at the top of the conference and there could be possibility for even further movement up the standings pending outcomes of other games around the conference.

The Tigers look to avenge a loss to Lindenwood last year, the first time the schools ever met in men's basketball. Lindenwood took the conference match-up on its home floor by a score of 69-58. Lindenwood finished in a tie for third in the MIAA standings last year but was not postseason eligible in its final year of transition to NCAA Division II from the NAIA. Lindenwood is eligible this year, so they are eligible for both the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament this year.

A milestone is on the horizon for head coach Mark Johnson as one more win will tie him for the all-time wins lead at Fort Hays State with Cade Suran, who won 257 games in 18 years from 1946-65. Johnson is in just his 13th season at the helm and has already tied Bill Morse for the most 20+ win seasons at FHSU, each with seven. Johnson passed Morse last year for second on the all-time wins list as Morse had 235. A win on Thursday would give Johnson the opportunity to pass the mark at home on Saturday.

Also possible to occur in the next game would be Craig Nicholson reaching a pair of milestones in the same game. Nicholson, just a sophomore, is six points and one assist shy of reaching 600 points and 300 assists in his career at FHSU. He averages 15.9 points and 8.2 assists per game. He would be just the seventh player in FHSU history to reach 300 assists in a career.

Dwayne Brunson continues to lead FHSU in scoring and rebounding at 16.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Carson Konrade entered the week fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, now at 56.3 percent for the season with 40 makes from deep. The Tigers got a big lift on the road trip to MSSU and SBU from post players Jake Stoppel and Andrew Victoria. Stoppel scored a career-high 14 points against MSSU and Victoria recorded his first double-double as a Tiger with 18 points and 11 rebounds against SBU. Victoria averaged a double-double on the road swing with 13 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

Fort Hays State returned to the receiving votes section of the NABC Division II Top 25 Poll this week. Central Missouri is currently the only team in the MIAA ranked in the Top 25 at No. 24.

**UPDATE**
Fort Hays State defeated Lindenwood on Thursday night by a score of 70-61. The Tigers evened their record in conference play at 3-3 and moved to 11-3 overall. Carson Konrade had a team-high 19 points, scoring 12 consective points for FHSU within the last five minutes of the game, helping the Tigers hold off the Lions. Dwayne Brunson added 18 points. Craig Nicholson had a team-high 11 assists and passed the 600-point and 300-assist marks in his career during the game. Andrew Victoria led FHSU in rebounding with nine in just 11 minutes of action.

Fort Hays State head coach Mark Johnson looks to become the all-time leader in wins at FHSU, now tied with Cade Suran with 257 victories at FHSU. Johnson is in his 13th year as head coach at FHSU.