Fort Hays State, the No. 4 seed in the MIAA Tournament, will face No. 5 seed Lincoln in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday (Mar. 8) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Tipoff is at 12 pm. FHSU enters at 18-10 overall, while Lincoln is 17-11 overall.
 
The Tigers enter the MIAA Tournament winners of their last two after defeating Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State at home last week. FHSU finished alone in fourth place in the MIAA at 12-7, while Lincoln was alone in fifth at 10-9. FHSU won its only regular season meeting with Lincoln this year, a 72-63 decision in Hays on February 16.
 
Fort Hays State is 11-11 all-time in the MIAA Tournament. Last year the Tigers went 2-1 in the tournament, winning an opening round game over Lindenwood then a thrilling overtime quarterfinal contest against Missouri Southern before falling in the semifinals to Washburn. FHSU owns a 7-4 record in quarterfinal games and this will be the first time the Tigers meet Lincoln in the MIAA Tournament.
 
Brady Werth led the Tigers in the first meeting with Lincoln this year, scoring 22 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Werth just became the 21^st member of the 1,000-point club at FHSU in the regular season finale win over Pittsburg State. He received All-MIAA First Team honors earlier this week and enters the tournament averaging 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
 
Marcus Cooper and Kyler Kinnamon also received All-MIAA honors earlier in the week, both honorable mentions. Cooper is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 12 points per game, while Kinnamon leads the team in assists, dishing out 4.4 per game.
 
Lincoln's regular starting five all averages double figures in scoring for the season, led by Terrance Smith at 16.5 points per game. Grant Olsson, who averages 10.6 per game, led the Blue Tigers in Hays earlier this year with 24 points.