RAPID CITY, S.D. – Fort Hays State moved to 2-1 overall on the season with a 68-52 win at South Dakota Mines on Wednesday evening (Nov. 19). A career-best 34-point, 15-rebound performance from Dan Mukuna powered the Tigers to a win in their first road contest of the season. South Dakota Mines moved to 1-2 on the season.
 
Mukuna was the go-to guy for Fort Hays State in the first half. He scored the first 12 points for FHSU, helping the Tigers go back-and-forth with the Hardrockers early. Eventually he had 20 of Fort Hays State's 39 points at halftime, going 10-of-12 from the field in the opening half.
 
The Tigers finally created a little bit of separation from the Hardrockers late in the first half after the lead changed hands nine times in the early going. FHSU moved into the lead for good at 24-23 on Mukuna's ninth field goal of the first half. A 5-0 burst to end the first half pushed the Tigers lead to eight, 39-31, their largest of the first half. The Tigers shot a strong 52.9 percent from the field before the break, thanks to Mukuna's blistering line early.
 
The lead reached double figures for the first time on a Kyle Grill basket to open the scoring in the second half, but South Dakota Mines cut the lead down to five at the 17:35 mark. That was as close as the Hardrockers got, as the Tigers pushed their lead into double figures for good at the 10:57 mark on another Mukuna basket. FHSU briefly led by 17, its largest of the game, with about a minute remaining.
 
Mukuna finished 14-of-21 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. He did all of his damage inside of the 3-point arc. The 14 field goals were the most by a Tiger since Rob Davis hit 14 field goals in a 42-point performance at Emporia State back on February 1, 2017. Mukuna doubled his previous scoring high as a Tiger, set just two games ago when he scored 17 against Southwest Minnesota State in the season opener. He also nearly doubled up his career high in rebounds with eight being his previous high. It was Mukuna's first double-double as a Tiger.
 
Lucas Hammeke was the only other Tiger to reach double figures in scoring with 12 points, but he also had a big night distributing the ball and with 10 assists picked up a double-double as well. It was a new career high in helpers for Hammeke. He was lurking in triple-double territory, also pulling down a career-high eight rebounds.
 
The Fort Hays State defense held South Dakota Mines to just 30 percent shooting from the field. The Hardrockers hit all four of their 3-point field goals before halftime, but the Tigers held them to just 21 points in the second half. Jason Lee led the Hardrockers with 15 points, their only scorer in double figures.
 
The Tigers return home for their next three contests. They host Bethel College on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 23) at 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.