Newman (3-7, 0-5 MIAA) at
Fort Hays State (8-1, 3-1 MIAA)
Sunday, December 19 – 4 pm
Hays, Kan. – Gross Memorial Coliseum
Game Sponsor: Redeem Designs
National Anthem: Dighton High School
Promotions: Retro Night - First 250 fans will receive a retro t-shirt courtesy of game sponsor Redeem Designs. Gates open at 1 pm for women's game at 2 pm.
Halftime Performance: Tiger Debs
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball looks to get back on the winning track on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 19) when it hosts Newman University at 4 pm. The Tigers are now 8-1 overall, 3-1 in the MIAA after taking their first loss of the season on Friday night to Central Oklahoma. Newman enters the game at 3-7 overall and 0-5 in the MIAA.
Despite giving up a season-high 77 points on Friday night in the loss to Central Oklahoma, Fort Hays State moved down only one spot in scoring defense to second nationally. The Tigers are now allowing 55.9 points per game this season, only behind West Alabama allowing 54.6 per game. There are only four men's teams in the nation allowing less than 60 points per game, and the other two are highly ranked in the NABC Top 25 Poll (No. 1 Lubbock Christian and No. 3 Mercyhurst).
Fort Hays State is one of the top teams nationally in field goal percentage defense as well, ranking sixth with a 38.2 percent success rate for opponents. FHSU leads the MIAA in both field goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.6 percent).
Kaleb Hammeke finished just two points shy of his career high on Friday night, scoring 30 against Central Oklahoma. However, he did set a new career-high for 3-point field goal makes in a game with eight, which was just one shy of the single-game school record held by Geoff Eck and Rodney Malloy. He has scored over 20 points in the last three contests and now leads the team at 15.9 points per game.
Jared Vitztum continues to average a double-double for the season at 14.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He has four double-doubles in points and rebounds in nine games this season. He leads the MIAA in rebounding, the only player in the conference averaging double figures.
Stevie Strong leads Newman in scoring for players appearing in all 10 of their contests this season. He averages 14.3 points per game and has 24 3-point field goals for the season, which is 16 more than any of his other teammates.
