(RV) Fort Hays State (17-8, 9-7 MIAA) at
Missouri Southern (14-10, 8-7 MIAA)
Thursday, February 19 – 7:30 p.m.
Joplin, Mo. – Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium
 
Fort Hays State heads on the road for the final time in the regular season and will take on Missouri Southern Thursday night (Feb. 19) in Joplin. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium, which is serving as the home of the Lions this season as the Leggett and Platt Center is being renovated. The Tigers enter at 17-8 overall and 9-7 in the MIAA, while the Lions are 14-10 overall and 8-7 in the MIAA.
 
The Tigers are coming off an intense overtime battle with Newman this past Saturday in Hays. FHSU won 91-83 in overtime to help move back up in the MIAA standings as they now sit in sixth.
 
With three games to go in the regular season, the Tigers are looking to stay above seventh in the standings to avoid the opening round games of the MIAA Tournament that matchup the 7-10 seeds. They are only a half game behind fourth and 1.5 games back of third. FHSU was as high as second in the ultra-competitive MIAA back in the latter part of January.
 
Missouri Southern is one of three teams just a half game behind the Tigers in the MIAA standings. The Lions are coming off an 83-75 win at Pittsburg State on Monday night, a game that had to be made up from inclement weather a few weeks back. Missouri Southern is 9-5 at home this season and took a one-point loss to Missouri Western at home back on Saturday.
 
Fort Hays State has won the last four meetings with Missouri Southern, going back to the 2022-23 season. FHSU won the only meeting between the teams last year in Hays by a score of 70-59. FHSU has won the last three games between the teams in Joplin, which dates back to the 2020-21 season. Missouri Southern's last win over FHSU in Joplin was in 2018-19. FHSU holds a 40-23 advantage in the all-time series.
 
The Tigers have the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 62.9 points per game. They rank 13^th nationally in field goal percentage defense (39.8 percent) and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.5 percent).
 
Dan Mukuna (17.3), Kyle Grill (13.2), and Jahvari Martino (11.7) all continue to average double figures in scoring for the Tigers this season. Martino is coming off his FHSU high of 23 points in the overtime win over Newman. Mukuna leads in rebounding at 7.5 per game, while Lucas Hammeke heads the Tigers in assists at 3.6 per game. Muhamed Kante has provided a scoring surge of late, reaching double figures in each of the last four games.
 
Jaden Taylor leads MSSU in scoring at 18.2 per game. Gavyn Elkamil adds 14 per game, while Colin Ruffin averages 11.8 per game.