HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State outlasted Emporia State in an offensive struggle on Wednesday night (Jan. 31) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers ended the game on an 11-3 run, holding the Hornets to one field goal over the final 4:38 to pick up a 58-50 win. FHSU moved to 13-8 overall, 6-6 in the MIAA, while ESU dropped to 8-13 overall, 3-9 in the MIAA.
 
Fort Hays State led for nearly two-thirds of the game, but never held a lead of more than six points all the way until 23 seconds remaining in the game. The teams spent 10:25 of the game's 40 minutes tied. FHSU led 26-22 at halftime after the game saw seven ties and five lead changes in the first half.
 
Fort Hays State extended its lead to six three times before Emporia State went on a 6-0 burst to tie the game for the first time in the second half, 37-37, at the 11:47 mark. FHSU scored the next four points, but ESU countered with five to take its only lead of the second half, 42-41, with 8:45 to go. Fifteen seconds later Kyler Kinnamon put the Tigers back on top with a driving layup, then Brady Werth added a pair of free throws and a layup to get the Tiger lead back to five. However, the Hornets answered with a 5-0 run to tie the game 47-47 with 4:38 to go.
 
Trey O'Neil was the key for the Tigers getting separation over the next three minutes. He raced up the right sideline and got to the rim with 2:06 to go, putting the Tigers up 49-47. After a missed shot by the Hornets, Werth found O'Neil in the left corner for a three-point field goal to extend the lead to 52-47 with 1:14 remaining. The Tigers continued to deny the Hornets from scoring and Grant Holmes was nails over the final moments at the free-throw line to put the game away. Holmes went 4-of-4 at the line with under 30 seconds remaining to keep the Hornets at arm's length. Werth capped the win with a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining.
 
The Tigers held the Hornets without points for 4:26 of the final 4:38. ESU went 0-of-6 from the field in that stretch, which included one turnover.
 
Werth gave the Tigers a spark in his first action coming off illness the past couple weeks. He finished with 15 points, going 4-of-6 from the field and 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. Holmes was also big, hitting all five of his free throws in the game, finishing with 10 points. The Hornets held all five Fort Hays State starters in single figures. FHSU shot 40 percent from the field for the game, but an impressive 85 percent (17-of-20) at the free-throw line.
 
Forwards Hassan Thomas and Stephaun Limuel led the Hornets in scoring with 12 and 11 points respectively. Thomas nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds. The Tigers held Emporia State's top scoring threat, Brandon Hall, to just five points. ESU shot just 31.9 percent from the field, including a 28.6 percent effort beyond the three-point line.
 
The Tigers snapped their three-game losing streak with the win and pushed their home record to 11-1 on the season. FHSU now prepares for a tough test Saturday (Feb. 3) when Washburn comes to Hays. The Ichabods are tied for the MIAA lead with Northwest Missouri State at 9-2 going into Thursday's games around the conference. Washburn defeated FHSU by 11 earlier this season in Topeka.