HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State used a late push to get past Missouri Southern in the MIAA opener on Thursday night (Nov. 30) in Hays. Down three with 3:24 to play, FHSU used a 14-4 run to close the game out and win 76-69. The Tigers moved to 5-2 overall, 1-0 in the MIAA, while the Lions moved to 2-4 overall, 0-1 in the MIAA.
 
Hadley Gillum scored 30 points in the winning effort. It was the second time he reached 30 in a game this season. However, key plays by Brady Werth and Grant Holmes turned the tide of the game, part of a 9-0 run by the Tigers to flip the three-point deficit into a six-point lead with 52 seconds remaining in the game.
 
Fighting foul trouble all night, Werth came up with a key offensive rebound and stick-back layup to cut the MSSU lead to one, then pulled down a critical rebound on the defensive end. A foul at the 2:16 mark sent Gillum to the free-throw line, where he dropped a pair and gave the Tigers a 66-65 lead. Again on the defensive end, Werth came up with a knock-away for a steal and moments later, Kyler Kinnamon found Holmes on the wing who hit a huge 3-point field goal to push the Tigers ahead by four with 1:33 remaining. Following another turnover by the Lions, Gillum hit two more free throws to reach the 30-point barrier for the night.
 
Fort Hays State held off the Lions the rest of the way with free-throw shooting and stops on the defensive end. Missouri Southern led by as many as eight early in the second half and had a trio of seven-point leads between the 8:59 and 6:30 marks of the second half before FHSU stormed back at the end. The Lions led 37-31 at halftime.
 
Gillum's 30 points came on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, including a 2-of-3 effort beyond the 3-point line, and a 10-of-11 effort at the free-throw line. Payton Stephens also reached double figures with 11 points. Trey O'Neil had nine, while Kinnamon and Holmes each had eight. FHSU shot 45.8 percent as a team, including a 40 percent effort beyond the 3-point line. The Tigers were 26-of-34 at the free-throw line for the game.
 
C.J. Carr led the Lions in scoring with 16 points, while dishing out a team-high four assists. LJ Ross added 12 points, while Braelon Walker and Ralph Bellamy both had 10. The Lions shot 41.2 percent from the field, but just 31.6 percent beyond the 3-point line. They were solid at the free-throw line, hitting 21-of-25 attempts.
 
The Tigers return to action Saturday (Dec. 2) against Pittsburg State at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Game time is set for 4 pm, following the women's game at 2 pm. Pittsburg State dropped its conference opener in overtime to Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday evening.