Central Oklahoma (17-8, 10-6 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (15-10, 8-8 MIAA) Saturday, February 17 - 4 pm Hays, Kan. - Gross Memorial Coliseum

Game Sponsor: Cancer Council of Ellis County Promotions: Academic Day- FHSU Athletics recognizes all student-athletes who achieved academic excellence throughout the spring semester last year and fall semester this year. / Recognition of 20-year donors to FHSU! / Wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness!

Fort Hays State Men's Basketball returns to the floor on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 17) at Gross Memorial Coliseum when it hosts Central Oklahoma at 4 pm. The Tigers enter at 15-10 overall, 8-8 in the MIAA, while the Bronchos are 17-8 overall, 10-6 in the MIAA. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Tigers are in a tie for seventh in the conference standings.
 
The top four teams in the conference receive byes to the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, but right now the Tigers are playing for the chance to at least host an opening round tournament game. Seeds 5-8 will hosts seeds 9-12 in the first round, so the Tigers are looking to at least finish between fifth and eighth in the standings to secure a home game. FHSU is currently tied for seventh in the MIAA at 8-8 with Nebraska-Kearney. Central Oklahoma comes into Saturday in fifth place at 10-6 and Lincoln won on Thursday night to move to 9-8 in the MIAA, just a half game ahead of FHSU and UNK. A win for the Tigers could leave only a one-game gap between sixth and fifth with two games to play.
 
The Tigers are coming off an 81-74 win over Northeastern State on Thursday evening. FHSU led the game from start to finish, but held off a late charge from NSU to secure the win. Hadley Gillum had a team-high 20 points, followed by Trey O'Neil with 17, Brady Werth with 13, and Marcus Cooper with 12. O'Neil landed on 500 points in his career as a Tiger with the 17-point effort.
 
1,000-Point Watch: Senior forward Hadley Gillum is just 18 points away from 1,000 in his career at Fort Hays State. He is looking to become the 20^th player in the history of the program to reach 1,000. Gillum averages 17 points per game.
 
Central Oklahoma fell at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night. Central Oklahoma defeated FHSU a week ago by a score of 81-57 in Edmond. Brady Werth and KeShawn Wilson led the Tigers in scoring in that game with 16 points each.