KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State shot only 37-percent from the floor including 5-for-20 from beyond the arc and lost 59-56 at Nebraska-Kearney Saturday afternoon at the Health and Sports Center. It’s the second straight loss for the Tigers (13-7, 7-4 MIAA) who lose back-to-back games for the first time since falling to Sioux Falls and Southwestern Minnesota State to start the season.

Aaron Nicholson scored on a layup to start to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead but they would trail the rest of the first half and were down six at the break.

They opened the second half on a 10-3 run and took the lead back on a Brady Werth jumper with 14:24 to play but UNK (7-13, 2-9 MIAA) would answer with a 17-6 run over the next 10 minutes to go up 10.

Nicholson hit three of the Tigers five 3-pointers and led them with 15 points while dishing out a team-best four assists. Brady Werth and Devin Davis both scored 11 and Kyler Kinnamon added 10. All of Werth’s points came in the second half.

The Lopers who were the worst free throw shooting and worst rebounding team in the MIAA outrebounded the Tigers by six and went 14 of 17 from the free throw line.