HAYS, Kan. – Craig Nicholson hit s free throw with 7.6 seconds to play to break a 75-all tie, then Southwest Minnesota State’s Ryan Bruggeman missed a driving layup with 0:01 to play and the Fort Hays State Tigers held off the Mustangs 76-75 to win their season opener in front of 1,905 Saturday night at Gross Coliseum.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Dom Samac Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

 

The Tigers used  a 14-2 first half run to go up 10 and led 37-31 at halftime, but the SMSU responded with a 17-3 run to go up four with 16:39 to play.

A 6-0 Tiger run capped by a Kenny Enoch stick-back bucket off a missed Dom Samac free throw pushed the lead to four with five minutes to play. The Mustangs scored five straight to tie the game 69-69 with 3:27 to play.

A Samac layup put the Tigers up 75-74 with 0:57 left. Shaun Condon tied the game for the Mustangs, hitting one of two free throws with 0:34 left. Nicholson missed the first of his two free throws but knocked in the second following a timeout.

Samac led the Tigers with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and had a team-high six rebounds. Rob Davis hit three 3-pointers and added 19 while Kenny Enoch scored 11 and Hadley Gillum 10.

Joey Bartlett led the Mustangs with 27 points, one off his career high. Bartlett  was 10-of-16 from the field including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.

The Tigers win despite 16-of-30 free throw shooting.

FHSU closes out play in the MIAA/NSIC Challenge against the University of Sioux Falls Sunday at 4 p.m. The Cougars beat Emporia State 85-81 in Saturday’s first game.