Following a hard-fought win over Central Oklahoma on Thursday night, the Tigers look to continue their push forward in the MIAA standings on Saturday (Jan. 17) when they host Northeastern State. Tipoff is set for 4 pm at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. FHSU enters at 10-6 overall, 4-4 in the MIAA, while NSU enters at 3-12 overall, 1-7 in the MIAA.

Now begins the rest of the season without All-American point guard Craig Nicholson who was lost to injury on Thursday night in the win over Central Oklahoma. Already balanced in scoring, Fort Hays State will look for a little more production out of each player to help make up for the loss of its top scorer and assister, who was averaging 14.9 points and 6.1 assists per game. Fort Hays State already has six other players averaging better than seven points per game.

The Tigers will look for that extra production out of their upper classmen, six seniors and three juniors that are currently combining to average just over 63 points per game. Dom Samac is now the top scorer among active Tigers at 10.0 points per game, but Royce Williams (9.7) and Achoki Moikobu (9.5) have already averaged double figures earlier this season. Williams and Moikobu have combined to bury 65 3-point field goals for the Tigers so far this year, Moikobu with 35 and Williams with 30. Moikobu is shooting 50 percent beyond the 3-point line for the season. James Fleming also has the ability to get red-hot beyond the arc, even though he's at just 34.4 percent so far this year with a total of 21 makes.

Defensive intensity and ball security will be key for the Tigers the remainder of the year. FHSU entered the game with UCO ranked fifth in the nation in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.1 per contest. FHSU led the MIAA in field goal percentage defense, now at .415, rebounding margin, now at +5.6, and defensive rebound percentage (.760).

FHSU has now won two straight, looking for a third on Saturday in the second game of a four-game homestand. Northeastern State enters on a four-game losing streak, most recently taking an 83-59 loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.