Fort Hays State (5-0, 1-0 MIAA) at
Emporia State (6-1, 1-0 MIAA)
Saturday, December 4 - 3:30 pm
Emporia, Kan. - White Auditorium

Fort Hays State attempts to complete a weekly road swing sweep on Saturday (Dec. 4) at Emporia State. The Tigers enter the contest at 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the MIAA, while the Hornets enter at 6-1 overall and 1-0 in the MIAA. Tip off is set for 3:30 pm at White Auditorium, which follows the women's contest at 1:30 pm.
 
This game will pit the best scoring defense against the best scoring offense in the MIAA. Fort Hays State not only leads the MIAA in scoring defense, but leads all NCAA levels at 49.0 points per game. The Tigers are the only NCAA men's basketball program in the nation currently allowing less than 50 points per game. Emporia State on the other hand is averaging 84.6 points per game to lead the MIAA. The Hornets have a potent guard combo averaging 44.8 points per game in Tray Buchanan and Jumah'Ri Turner. Buchanan currently ranks second in the nation in scoring average individually, averaging 26.9 points per game, while Turner averages 17.9.
 
Fort Hays State is coming off a big win at Washburn to open MIAA back on Wednesday night. The Ichabods were nationally ranked to open the season and FHSU managed to snap a six-game losing streak to WU that dated back to the 2017-18 season. The Tigers will now be looking for their first 6-0 start to a season since 2013-14, when they started 7-0. The 5-0 start to this season is the best since 2015-16.
 
The Tigers have been using a balanced scoring attack of eight players averaging at least five points per game. Leading that group is Jared Vitztum, who averages 11.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Nyjee Wright (11.2) and Kaleb Hammeke (10.4) are also averaging double figures in scoring. Geoff Hamperian (8.4) and Quinten Rock (8.0) are the top scorers off the bench for FHSU.
 
To go along with owning the best scoring defense in the country, the Tigers also lead NCAA Division II in opponent field goal percentage. They are allowing opponents to shoot at just a 34.1 percent rate for the season overall, and the Tigers rank second nationally in opponent 3-point field goal percentage at just 22 percent. The Tigers will be attempting to slow down a Hornet team that leads the MIAA in field goal percentage at 49.9 percent. The Hornets are coming off an 81-70 win over Nebraska-Kearney in their MIAA opener on Thursday night at home.
 
Emporia State's only loss this season was to Arkansas Tech in Hays, part of the four-team MIAA/GAC Challenge FHSU hosted the first weekend of the season. The Hornets shot just 39.6 percent overall in that contest.