Box Score Fort Hays State survived a huge comeback effort by Washburn on Saturday, winning 87-85 in overtime on Saturday (Feb. 1). A Dwayne Brunson jumper from the top of the key just before time expired broke the tie and Washburn could not get a shot attempt away with 0.3 seconds remaining. The Tigers pushed their win streak to 10 games, now at 18-3 overall, 9-3 in the MIAA, while Washburn dropped to 14-5 overall and 7-5 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State looked to have control of the game leading by 14 (43-29) at halftime and then by as many as 17 points four times in the second half, the last time with 13:16 to go in the game. Washburn, however, would catch fire from 3-point range draining 10-of-16 attempts in the second half to furiously rally back into the game late.

With FHSU leading by 16 with 9:19 to go, Washburn closed out the half on a 28-12 run. The Ichabods continued to chip away, whittling the lead all the way down to five with 3:05 to play. Following a pair of Dwayne Brunson free-throws to push the Tiger lead back to seven, Alex North of Washburn hit 3-point field goals on consecutive trips down the floor to cut the lead to just one with 1:23 to play.

FHSU went 2-of-4 at the free-throw line in the final 31 seconds after going 19-of-20 up to that point in the game, James Fleming and Brunson each making one of two attempts to leave the Tiger lead at three going into the final Washburn possession. That allowed North to bury a desperation 3-point attempt for Washburn nearly six feet beyond the 3-point line at the top of the key that banked in with 2.7 seconds to play. A 3-point heave by Craig Nicholson at the buzzer was short and the game went to overtime.

With all the momentum in Washburn's favor, things were starting to look shaky when Washburn went up three with 1:28 to go in the extra period. However, Carson Konrade drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner with a hand in his face with 1:02 to go, knotting the game once again. North, who was blazing hot from the field going into overtime, missed a jumper with 29 seconds to go and the rebound went out of bounds to the Tigers.

That set up the late heroics for the Tigers. Craig Nicholson attempted a shot with a few seconds left, but Carson Konrade crashed the boards to tie up the rebound with the possession arrow still belonging to FHSU. With 2.0 seconds remaining, Nicholson found Brunson at the top of the key just inside the 3-point line and Brunson buried the dagger to put away the upset minded Ichabods.

Nicholson finished the game with a team-high 23 points and eight assists, going 8-of-17 from the field with one 3-point field goal and a 6-of-8 effort at the free-throw line. Brunson finished with 19, going 4-of-8 from the field and a near perfect 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. James Fleming had a red-hot first half and finished with 17 points, 6-of-6 from the field with four 3-point field goals. Konrade, who stepped up big late, added 13 points. FHSU finished 49.1 percent from the field, 56.3 percent beyond the 3-point line, and 86.7 percent at the free-throw line.

North led Washburn with 23 points and had four 3-point field goals. Chris Davis had 14 points and Leon Flowers and Kyle Wiggins each finished with 13. Washburn finished the game with 14 3-point field goals and shot 56 percent beyond the arc.

Fort Hays State snapped a five-game losing streak to Washburn and set a new MIAA record for overtime games in a season with six. FHSU is 4-2 in overtime this year.

The Tigers pulled into a tie for second in the MIAA standings with Central Missouri and Missouri Southern with the win. Central Missouri defeated Missouri Southern on Saturday to put all three teams at 9-3 in the conference. Northwest Missouri State still has a stranglehold on first place at 11-1. FHSU received help from a red-hot Nebraska-Kearney team that defeated Emporia State by one on Saturday, giving the Tigers two games of separation from Washburn and Emporia State. FHSU goes on the road to Nebraska-Kearney this coming Wednesday (Feb. 5), then to Emporia State on Saturday (Feb. 8).