(RV) Fort Hays State (15-7, 7-6 MIAA) at
#25 Arkansas-Fort Smith (17-4, 8-4 MIAA)
Saturday, February 7 – 3 p.m.
Fort Smith, Ark. – Stubblefield Center
 
Fort Hays State Men's Basketball will play at Arkansas-Fort Smith for the first time in program history on Saturday (Feb. 7). Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center. This is Arkansas-Fort Smith's second year in the MIAA. The Lions are currently ranked No. 25 in the nation at 17-4 overall and 8-4 in the MIAA, while the Tigers are 15-7 overall and 7-6 in the MIAA.
 
Fort Hays State is looking to put an end to a three-game skid. The Tigers fell 66-64 at Northeastern State on Thursday night, which snapped their eight-game win streak over the RiverHawks going back to the 2019-20 season.
 
Arkansas-Fort Smith has won its last two games, although the Lions are just 4-4 since a 13-0 start to the season. UAFS reached as high as No. 5 in the national rankings when it was 13-0, but has slowly fell down the NABC Top 25 since.
 
Fort Hays State holds a 1-0 advantage in the brief series history between the schools, which began last season in Hays. FHSU won the first-ever meeting 59-53, holding off the Lions in the second half after holding a 16-point halftime lead.
 
Fort Hays State is 1-2 overall against NABC Top 25 teams this year. This will be the first ranked opponent outside of the top 10 the Tigers play this year. FHSU fell to Washburn when the Ichabods were ranked No. 2 and No. 1 in the nation, but defeated at No. 8 ranked Southwest Minnesota State team to open the season in Hays. FHSU is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent in an away game since the 2023-24 season, when FHSU won 67-60 at No. 5 ranked Central Oklahoma on December 31, 2023.
 
Dan Mukuna leads FHSU at 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He currently owns a 13-game streak of scoring in double figures. Kyle Grill led FHSU in scoring at Northeastern State on Thursday night with 18 points and he averages 13.2 per game for the season. Jahvari Martino also averages double figures in scoring at 11.1 points per game, while Kaleb Hammeke leads the Tigers in assists at 3.6 per game.
 
Brandon Scott leads UAFS in scoring for the season at 13.5 points per game, followed by Christian Moore at 12.3 per game and Jarren McAllister at 10.9 per game.