HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State opened MIAA play with a victory on Tuesday evening (Dec. 4), outlasting Nebraska-Kearney by a score of 76-73. The game saw 22 lead changes and 10 ties, with a pair of difference-making 3-point field goals from Aaron Nicholson and Kyler Kinnamon late. The Tigers held the Lopers scoreless over the final 1:48 of the game, taking the lead at 1:30 and held on the rest of the way.
 
The Tigers won the game on the glass, outrebounding the Lopers by 11 (35-24). FHSU grabbed 10 offensive rebounds compared to just two for UNK. The Tigers outscored the Lopers 13-5 in second-chance points. Devin Davis was the most tenacious Tiger on the offensive glass, picking up four of his six rebounds in the game on the offensive end. He also chipped in 13 points for the game.
 
Both teams scored 62 points on field goals, but the Tigers made three more free throws in the game than the Lopers. Both teams missed five attempts at the charity stripe, but FHSU was able to get there three more times, 19 compared to 16 for UNK. The Lopers shot 50 percent from the field for the game and FHSU was close behind at 49.1 percent. Both teams turned the ball over nine times.
 
Neither team led by more than six points in the first half, the biggest margin being a 32-26 lead for UNK at the 2:53 mark. FHSU quickly erased that deficit with a 7-0 run to take a one-point lead and that was the eventual margin at halftime with FHSU leading 35-34.
 
The lead went back-and-forth throughout the second half, trading hands 16 times after the break. FHSU enjoyed its largest lead of five points three times between the 10:46 and 8:47 marks of the second half. UNK grabbed a two-point lead at the 3:38 mark on a Chase Winchester 3-point field goal. The Lopers extended that lead to three on a Carter Burns layup with 2:22 to go after the Tigers were able to convert only one of two free throws. However, Nicholson provided the first clutch 3-point field goal for the Tigers to tie the game 71-71 with 2:02 to play.
 
Out of a timeout Kanon Koster, who had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists, gave UNK its final lead of the game, 73-71, with a jump shot at the top of the key at the 1:48 mark. Kinnamon then answered with his clutch 3-point field goal off a pass from Nicholson, pushing the Tigers into the lead for good at the 1:30 mark.
 
Both teams turned the ball over before UNK took a desperation 3-point attempt with nine seconds remaining on the shot clock down by only one. An air-ball attempt went out of bounds. Marcus Cooper then went to the free-throw line and extended the Tiger lead to three by hitting a pair. A Chase Winchester 3-point attempt for UNK with about three seconds remaining was off the mark to the left and Cooper pulled down his team-leading seventh rebound to secure the win for FHSU.
 
Brady Werth dominated in low for the Tigers, scoring a game-high 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field (including one 3-point field goal) and an 8-of-11 effort at the free-throw line. Nicholson scored 12 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
 
Henry Penner and Winchester led the scoring effort for UNK, each with 17 points. Penner hit five 3-pointers, part of 12 3-point field goals overall for the Lopers.
 
Fort Hays State moved to 5-3 overall with the win and 1-0 on the young conference slate. UNK fell to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA. The Tigers welcome another rival to town on Saturday (Dec. 8) when they host the Hornets of Emporia State University at 4 pm inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.