KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State had two players earn MIAA Football Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (Nov. 13). Kenneth Iheme earned Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week, while Brandon Brown earned Co-Special Teams Athlete of the Week. This is the third time this season Iheme earned the Offensive Athlete of the Week honor, while it is the fifth time this season Brown earned Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

Iheme shares the offensive honor this week with Josh Crockett of Central Oklahoma. Iheme produced his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season with exactly 100 yards on the ground in a 41-7 win over Nebraska-Kearney. He also caught two passes for 14 yards, giving him 114 all-purpose yards for the day. Iheme moved up to eighth on the all-time rushing list at FHSU, now with 2,407 yards in his career. Iheme has rushed for an MIAA-best 1,218 yards this season. Crockett led UCO in receiving with six catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the Bronchos 62-21 win over Northeastern State.

Brown shares the special teams honor this week with Austen Eskew of Northwest Missouri State. Brown had 11 kicking points in the 41-7 win over Nebraska-Kearney and was perfect on all five PAT attempts in the game. With 91 points on the season, Brown broke his own single-season record for kicking points at FHSU, passing the mark of 88 points he set last season. Eskew blocked a pair of Missouri Western punts in a 30-0 victory in the regular-season finale. Eskew got his hands on a first quarter punt that helped set up the Bearcats at the Griffon 27 yard line. In the second quarter, Eskew again disrupted a Missouri Western punt that Northwest recovered on the 20 yard line. Five plays later, the Bearcats would score on a one-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers have now had honorees in 10 of 11 weeks this season, including Jacob Mezera (Week 1 Offensive Athlete of the Week), Brandon Brown (Weeks 1, 4, 7, 10, and 11) Special Teams Athlete of the Week), Nathan Shepherd (Week 2 Defensive Athlete of the Week), Monterio Burchfield (Week 3 Offensive Athlete of the Week), Jose Delgado (Week 5 Defensive Athlete of the Week), and Kenneth Iheme (Weeks 6, 9, and 11 Offensive Athlete of the Week).

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State moved up another notch in the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are now No. 4 in the nation, hopping over Midwestern State in the latest rankings. FHSU will enter the NCAA Playoffs with a record of 11-0 after running the table in conference play for an MIAA Championship.

Fort Hays State moved up one spot, while the top three remained the same. Minnesota State holds the No. 1 ranking, while Shepherd (W.Va.) is No. 2 and Indiana (Pa.) is No. 3. FHSU trailed Midwestern State by seven voting points last week, but leapt the Mustangs this week by 10 votes.

Minnesota State, the No. 1 team in the nation for three straight weeks now, received the No. 2 seed in Super Regional 4. In that regional, Central Washington is the No. 1 seed, currently sitting at No. 7 in the national rankings, and Midwestern State is the No. 3 seed, currently at No. 5 in the national rankings. The top three seeds in Super Regional 4 are all undefeated yet.

Overall in the national poll, eight undefeated teams remain as the NCAA Playoffs begin. Aside from the three undefeated teams in Super Regional 4, Super Regional 3 has two in Fort Hays State and Indianapolis. Super Regional 1 also has two (Indiana and Shepherd), and Super Regional 2 has one (Virginia State).

Shepherd, ranked No. 2 nationally, is also a No. 2 seed in Super Regional 1. You have to go to the No. 3 ranked team in the nation to find the first No. 1 seed in a Super Regional bracket, that being Indiana (Pa.) of Super Regional 1. Fourth-ranked FHSU is the second-highest ranked No. 1 seed in the playoffs at No. 4, right behind Indiana (Pa.). Interestingly, West Alabama, the No. 1 seed in Super Regional 2, is the 17th-ranked team in the nation.

Fort Hays State will take a week off with the bye as the No. 1 seed in Super Regional 3. The Tigers will await the winner of Ferris State vs. Ouachita Baptist for a second-round game on November 25 at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays.

Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for November 13, 2017.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Points Previous
1. Minnesota State (22) 11-0 834 1
2. Shepherd (W.Va.) (7) 10-0 800 2
3. Indiana (Pa.) (2) 11-0 778 3
4. Fort Hays State (Kan.) (3) 11-0 730 5
5. Midwestern State (Texas) 9-0 720 4
6. Indianapolis (Ind.) 11-0 672 6
7. Central Washington 11-0 661 7
8. Texas A&M-Commerce 9-1 602 8t
9. Ashland (Ohio) 10-1 584 10
10. Ferris State (Mich.) 9-1 542 11
11. Virginia State 10-0 514 15
12. Winona State (Minn.) 10-1 471 17
13. Northwest Missouri State 9-2 359 18
14. Bowie State (Md.) 9-1 353 19
15. Assumption (Mass.) 9-1 333 8t
16. Wingate (N.C.) 9-1 285 12
17. West Alabama 9-2 272 22
18. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9-2 268 13
19. Shippensburg (Pa.) 10-1 261 25
20. Colorado State-Pueblo 9-2 223 23
21. Humboldt State (Calif.) 8-2 174 16
22. Colorado Mesa 9-2 147 14
23. Minnesota-Duluth 9-2 108 NR
24. Eastern New Mexico 8-2 90 20
25. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-2 72 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Findlay (Ohio), 49; California (Pa.), 40; Catawba (N.C.), 35; Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 18; Delta St. (Miss.), 12; West Georgia, 10; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 9; Harding (Ark.), 9; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4; West Florida, 4; Central Missouri, 3; Kutztown (Pa.), 1; LIU-Post (N.Y.), 1; Ohio Dominican, 1; Tuskegee (Ala.), 1.

On Sunday, Fort Hays State senior defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd was given a notice from Head Coach Chris Brown of his selection to play in the National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game will take place on January 20, 2018.

Shepherd will get to display his talent before an audience of NFL scouts and general managers. He will have an opportunity to compete with the top college players in the nation at the legendary Rose Bowl Stadium. The game will air nationally on Fox Sports 1. Last year, nearly 200 scouts, general managers, and head coaches representing NFL teams were present. Over 60 percent of the participants in the game were on opening day NFL rosters this season.

Shepherd was an All-America Honorable Mention selection by the Don Hansen Football Committee last year and is a two-time All-MIAA selection, earning second team honors last year and third team honors in 2015. In his three years at FHSU, he has 167 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.

INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State received the No. 1 seed in Super Regional 3 of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs, announced on Sunday (Nov. 12). With the No. 1 seed, the Tigers receive a bye past the first round and will host a second-round game at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays on Saturday, November 25 at 1 pm.

National Bracket

Fort Hays State’s opponent will be the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup in the Super Region. Ferris State (Mich.) is the No. 4 seed and plays host to No. 5 seed Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) on Saturday, November 18. Ferris State is 9-1, while Ouachita Baptist is 9-2.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Indianapolis (11-0) hosts No. 7 seed Harding (8-3), while No. 3 seed Ashland (10-1) hosts No. 6 seed Northwest Missouri State (9-2). Both of those games are on Saturday, November 18.

With the No. 1 seed, Fort Hays State has home field advantage within the Super Region. If the Tigers win on November 25, they will host the Super Regional Final on Saturday, December 2. After that, the NCAA reseeds the national semifinals, so the chosen No. 1 and No. 2 seeds by the NCAA will host national semifinal games on December 9. The national championship game is on Saturday, December 16 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, home of Major League Soccer club Sporting KC.

This is Fort Hays State’s first NCAA Playoff appearance since 1995 and third overall. Fort Hays State will play its first-ever home game in the NCAA playoffs. In 1993 and 1995, the Tigers went on the road in the opening round of the playoffs and lost both times. In 1993, FHSU lost 37-34 at California-Davis, and in 1995, FHSU lost at Texas A&M-Kingsville 59-28. The Tigers will be looking for their first-ever NCAA Playoff win on November 25.

Ticket Information for Playoffs
Season ticket holders will be able to reserve their seats for the first home playoff game on Monday, November 13 from 8 am to 4:30 pm by calling the Athletic Department at 785-628-4050 or stopping by the office in Cunningham Hall 138. Tickets not reserved on Monday will be released to the public on Tuesday.

Tickets for the general public will go on sale Tuesday, November 14th at 8 am. The tickets for the general public will be available online at www.fhsuathletics.com, by phone at 785-628-4050, or in the Athletic Department located in Cunningham Hall 138. Ticket sales will be week-to-week, pending the advancement of FHSU in the playoffs. There is no package for the entire playoffs.

Ticket prices will be $14 for a reserved seat (west side), $10 for a general admission seat (east side), and $5 for youth K-12. The tailgating rules will remain the same as they have all year, with the lot opening up 4 hours before kickoff and closing at kickoff. The reserved tailgating spaces and the VIP parking lot will also continue throughout the playoffs.

The Fort Hays State wrestling team competed in their first tournament on the year at the Northern Colorado Open on Saturday (Nov. 11). The Tigers finished with eight placers. Brandon Ball and Christian Lance won their weight classes, while Dylan Wiesner finished second. Dy’Juan Carney (133 lb), Efe Osaghae (157 lb) and Rakim Dean (197 lb) all finished in fourth place. Jonathan Ball (149 lb) and Marty Verhaeghe (165 lb) each added a sixth place finish to their resumes.

Dy’Juan Carney started off the Northern Colorado Open on a good note as he pinned Fabian Guerrero of Northwest Kansas Technical College in 2:10 to advance to the quarterfinals of the 133-pound weight class. Carney dropped his second match of the day to Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado by way of a fall in 4:22. Carney defeated Otis Rollins of Colby CC in the second round of the consolation side by pinning him in 6:40. He advanced on to the consolation semifinals due to a medical forfeit. Carney then advanced to the third place match with by way of a forfeit. Carney finished in fourth place after suffering a 9-5 decision from Ronald Stevens of Wyoming.

Brandon Ball received a bye in the first round. Ball advanced to the quarterfinals after a 17-0 technical fall victory over Adrian George of New Mexico Highlands. Ball moved on to the semifinals in the 141-pound weight class after a 4-0 decision over Lyle Plummer of Air Force. He then defeated Garrett O’Shea of Air Force with a 4-2 decision to advance to the championship match. Second-ranked Brandon Ball won the Northern Colorado Open after an 11-3 tiebreaker victory over Joshua Giorgio of Air Force.

Jonathan Ball wrestled unattached in the Northern Colorado Open while receiving a bye in the first round. Ball defeated Ben Hornickle with a 4-3 decision. Ball then moved on to the semifinals of the 149-pound weight class by pinning Justin Davis (unattached-Colorado) in 1:57. Ball fell in the semifinal match to Sam Turner of Wyoming with a tiebreaker 4-3 loss. Ball ended his tournament with a tie for sixth place finish after a 7-1 decision loss to Benjamin Polkowske of Northern Colorado in the consolation semifinals.

Efe Osaghae defeated Kameron Frame with a 9-7 sudden victory to move on to the second round in the 157-pound weight class. Efe then used a 7-5 sudden victory over Reis Humphrey of New Mexico Highlands to advance to the quarterfinals. Osaghae defeated Terence Perkins of Air Force in an 11-5 decision. He dropped his semifinal match to Macoy Flanagan of Northern Colorado by way of a 3-0 decision. Osaghae defeated Humphrey once again in the consolation semis with an 8-5 decision victory. Efe Osaghae finished the Northern Colorado Open with a fourth place finish after falling to Tyler Kinn of Northern Colorado with a 6-0 decision.

Marty Verhaeghe dropped his first round match to Hayden Hastings (unattached-Wyoming) by way of a 6-1 decision. He pinned Kory Polley in the first round of the consolation round in 2:23. Verhaeghe then defeated Aaron Benton of Colorado State by technical fall (18-1). He advanced to the consolations semis after a 3-2 decision over Trace Carello of Air Force. Verhaeghe ended his tournament with a tie for sixth place finish after a 3-2 decision defeat from Jakob Discher.

Dylan Wiesner began his tournament by pinning Lance Killgore of New Mexico Highlands in 5:24. He picked up another pin in the second round after defeating Preston Lauterbach of Colorado State in 3:46. Wiesner moved on to the semifinals after a 13-11 decision victory over John Hagey from Air Force. Wiesner advanced to the championship match in the 174-pound weight class after a 9-1 major decision over Casey Randles. Wiesner dropped the title match after suffering a 16-6 major decision loss to Noah Irons of Air Force.

Rakim Dean received a bye in the first round of the 197-pound weight class. Dean was defeated via a 4-2 decision from Jacob Seeley of Northern Colorado. Dean advanced through the consolation side of the bracket via a medical forfeit, a 14-3 major decision over Antonio Navarrette of New Mexico Highlands, another medical forfeit and an 18-0 technical fall victory in the consolation semifinals. Dean walked away with a fourth place finish in the 197-pound weight class after suffering a 5-4 tiebreaker loss in the third place match.

Christian Lance began his tournament with a bye in the first round. Lance advanced to the quarterfinals after a 21-4 technical fall victory over Oscar Soto from Northeastern Junior College. He grabbed a 3-2 decision over Hunter Mullins from Wyoming to move on to the semifinals in the 285-pound weight class. Lance was not done as he picked up a 9-4 decision over Kayne Hutchison of Air Force Prep to advance to the championship match. Seventh-ranked Christian Lance defeated Cody Johnson of Colorado State-Pueblo with a 3-2 decision to walk away victorious in the 285-pound title bout.

The Tigers are back in action next weekend as they head up to Kearney, Neb. to compete in the Nebraska-Kearney Open on Saturday (Nov. 18). The tournament is set to kick off at 9 a.m.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team battled back to take the second set against Northwest Missouri State Saturday afternoon (Nov. 11), but the upset bid came up short as the Bearcats came away victorious in four sets (11-25, 25-21, 16-25, 12-25). The Tigers wrap up the regular season 11-23 overall and 2-16 in the MIAA while the Bearcats move to 17-14 on the year and 11-7 in conference action.

Northwest Missouri State picked up 11 blocks in the win, limiting FHSU to its lowest attack percentage this season (.019) while countering with a .243 swing rate. Azlyn Cassaday picked up a team-high 11 kills, adding two blocks and five digs. Logan Wallick chipped in 10 kills while Callie Christensen posted four kills and four blocks (one solo).

The Bearcats took control early after winning the first set, 25-11, and jumping out in front to start the second set. The Tigers trailed by as many as six in the second frame, 18-12, before scoring six in a row to tie things up at 18. A NWMSU service error started the rally before Taylor White dropped in a service ace to cut the deficit to four. Wallick tied things up with a pair of kills off assists from Becca Page after two Bearcat errors put the Tigers within two.

Fort Hays State fell behind once again, 20-18, before the Tigers rallied to take the set thanks to a 7-1 run. Northwest Missouri made five errors down the stretch before a kill from Kylie Rollman secured the 25-21 FHSU victory. The Tigers were unable to maintain the momentum, however, with the Bearcats taking the match after winning the third set, 25-16, and the fourth set, 25-12.

GOLDEN, Colo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team dropped its season-opening dual on Wednesday (Nov. 8) by a score of 22-16 to Colorado School of Mines.

Colorado School of Mines’ Zach Gracia put the Orediggers up 5-0 right out of the gate in the 125-pound bout with a 17-2 technical fall over Conrad Cole. In the subsequent 133-pound class, Noah Au-Yeung extended the Orediggers lead to 9-0 with a major decision, 12-0, over Dy’Juan Carney.

At 141 pounds, 2nd-ranked Brandon Ball put the Tigers on the board as he managed to defeat Lukas Erickson with a 9-0 major decision. Ball picked up where he left off last season as he begins this year 1-0.

In the 149-pound bout, Fort Hays State’s Brody Lewis battled with Colorado School of Mines’ Noah Ottum. Ottum got the better of true freshman Lewis and increased the Orediggers lead to 13-4 with an 8-0 major decision.

Efe Osaghae cut the Orediggers lead to 13-7 in the 157-pound weight class with a 3-2 decision over Ethan Ruby. Osaghae used a key takedown in the third period to start his redshirt-freshman campaign with a victory.

Halfway through the dual the Orediggers lead the Tigers 13-7.

In the 165-pound bout, Marty Verhaeghe fell behind early in his match and used a quick escape and a takedown in the third period to inch closer, however it was not enough as he fell to Keenan Willits 9-4 in his first match of the season.

Dylan Wiesner took to the mat in the 174-pound weight class against the Orediggers TJ Shelton. Wiesner took advantage of a quick lead in the bout after two takedowns and an escape but in the second period was tangled up by Shelton and was pinned. The Orediggers took a commanding 22-7 lead in the match.

For the 184-pound battle, the Tigers brought out Micah Felton to take on Andrew Hinkle of the Orediggers. Felton used a key takedown in the third period and never looked back as he defeated Hinkle by a 7-1 decision. With the Tigers not getting a fall in this match, the Orediggers clinched the dual victory as they lead 22-10 after this bout.

At 197 pounds, Rakim Dean added three more points to the Tigers total as he emerged victorious over Anthony Spallino by an 8-4 decision.

In the last bout of the evening, 7th-ranked Christian Lance went up against Ian Cheatum in the 285-pound match. Lance finished the dual on a good note for the Tigers as he battled Cheatum until the very end. Lance arose from the mat with a 7-2 decision.

The Tigers are back on the mat this weekend as they travel to Greeley, Colo. to compete in the Northern Colorado Open on Saturday (Nov. 11). The Open is set to begin at 9 a.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team had nine players named to the 2017 All-MIAA Team, released on Wednesday (Nov. 8). The Tigers have six first team selections and three second team selections. Brett Parker was named Coach of the Year and Derick Gonzalez was named MIAA Player of the Year.

Earning unanimous first team selections for the Tigers are forward Abdoulaye Cisse and midfielder Derick Gonzalez. They were two of the four players selected as unanimous picks as Joe Garcia, midfielder from Northeastern State and MIAA Freshman of the Year Michele Ganz of Lindenwood also with that distinction. Joining both on the first team are goalkeeper Michael Yantz, defenders Killian Gorman and Luis Torres, and midfielder Luis Mendez.

Second team selections went to defender Caesar Jones, midfielder Tobias Patino and forward Raul Fierro.

Gonzalez, a senior, earns All-MIAA First Team honors for the second straight year, while earning MIAA Player of the Year. He leads the Tigers in points with 34, entering the NCAA Tournament with ten goals, while leading the nation in assists with 14. He ranks first in the MIAA in points and total assists. Gonzalez sits in third in total goals in the conference. Gonzalez was named to the NSCAA All-Central Region first team and the D2CCA All-Central Region first team last year.

Cisse, a junior, makes his first All-MIAA First Team list. He has put up solid numbers this year as he ranks second on the team in goals (eight) and assists (seven). He leads the team in shots on goal with 22 on the year.

Yantz, a senior, earns his second straight first-team honor at goalkeeper. Yantz ranks second in the MIAA in shutouts (five) and is third in both goals against average (1.24) and save percentage (.763). He has an overall record of 8-4-2. He is now a three-time all-conference selection after earning second team honors his sophomore campaign.

Gorman, a senior, picks up his third All-MIAA honor after a first-team selection this year. Gorman was named to the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team his sophomore season.

Torres, a junior, earns his second All-MIAA First Team honor. Torres has accumulated a goal and one assist on the year while playing the second-most minutes on the pitch for the Tigers with 1,417. Torres was the lone All-America selection a year ago. He was named to the NSCAA All-Central Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team as a sophomore last season.

Mendez, a sophomore, picks up another All-MIAA First Team honor in his second year with the Tigers. He has scored two goals and picked up four assists on the season. Mendez was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year a season ago. He was also named to the D2CCA All-Central Region first team as a freshman.

Jones, a junior, earns second team All-MIAA honors this year. He has started in 13 matches on the year and has logged 1,045 minutes on the pitch. He has two goals and one assists to his credit this season.

Patino, a junior, receives second team honors for the second straight year. Patino has set up his teammates with four assists on the season.

Fierro, a junior, earns second team honors in his first year as a Tiger. Fierro has recorded the only hat trick on the season when he scored three goals against Southwest Baptist. He ranks third on the team in points (16) and goals (seven) on the year.

Coach Brett Parker was named the Coach of the Year in the MIAA for the first time in his tenure at Fort Hays State. He has helped the Tigers to at least 11 wins in each of his seven seasons at the helm.

Below is the 2017 All-MIAA Men’s Soccer Team

Player of the Year
Derick Gonzalez, MF, Fort Hays State

Freshman of the Year
Michele Ganz, F, Lindenwood

Coach of the Year
Brett Parker, Fort Hays State

First Team
GK: Michael Yantz, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: Killian Gorman, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: Seth Russell, So., Upper Iowa
D: Luis Torres, Jr., Fort Hays State
D: Jeremy Tutas, Sr., Lindenwood
MF: Derick Gonzalez, Sr., Fort Hays State**
MF: Joe Garcia, Jr., Northeastern State**
MF: Gabriel Jaimes, Sr., Lindenwood
MF: Luis Mendez, So., Fort Hays State
F: Abdoulaye Cisse, Jr., Fort Hays State**
F: Ruairidh Crawford, Sr., Upper Iowa
F: Michele Ganz, Fr., Lindenwood**
F: Aaron Ugbah, So., Northeastern State

Results reflect ties in the voting
**Unanimous Selection

Second Team
GK: Ryan Davis, Sr., Northeastern State
GK: Connor Rortvedt, Sr., Upper Iowa
D: James Doyle, Fr., Northeastern State
D: Caesar Jones, Jr., Fort Hays State
D: Bailey Weeks, So., Northeastern State
MF: Marko Circo, So., Upper Iowa
MF: Italo Martin-Soares, Fr., Upper Iowa
MF: Tobias Patino, Jr., Fort Hays State
MF: Ismael Serratos, Sr., Northeastern State
MF: Tyler Walker, So., Northeastern State
F: Raul Fierro, Jr., Fort Hays State
F: Justin Todd, Jr., Northeastern State

Honorable Mention
Northeastern State: Andrew Galvan, D
Southwest Baptist: Alberto Rodriguez, MF
Upper Iowa: Cameron Bosacki, D

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s basketball team gave the Kansas Jayhawks all they could handle in the first half Tuesday evening (Nov. 7), leading as late as 29-28 before heading into the locker room down by five, 38-33. But the perennial powerhouse showed why it is the #4/#3 team in the land after the break, using a strong second-half performance to outlast the Tigers, 86-57.

Mark Johnson Post game interview

Highlights

Historic Allen Fieldhouse did not seem to faze the Tigers, as they hit 34.9 percent (22-of-63) from the floor on the night. The Jayhawks countered with an efficient 51.6 percent (32-for-62) from the floor. KU used its significant size advantage to dominate under the basket, outrebounding the Tigers 45-29 while doubling up FHSU on points in the paint, 44-22.

Hadley Gillum and Brady Werth each scored 14 points to lead the Tigers, while Jared Vitztum grabbed a team-high five rebounds. The Tigers kept Jayhawk standout Devonte’ Graham in check in the first half, limiting the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year to three field goals before halftime. Graham got things rolling out of the locker room, knocking down 4-of-5 shots from behind the arc to help him reach a game-high 27 points.

Fort Hays State went toe-to-toe with the Jayhawks for the entirety of the first half, never trailing by more than six and taking the lead five different times. The sides traded buckets for the first five minutes of the game before KU went on an 8-3 run to go in front 16-10, the largest lead of the half.

The Tigers bounced back in a big way, holding KU scoreless over the next four minutes while scoring seven-straight points to creep back in front, 17-16. Gillum knocked down a turnaround hook shot before Grant Holmes dropped in a layup on the next possession. After a two-minute scoring draught for both teams, Gillum drilled a three from the right wing to give the Tigers the lead.

The Jayhawks rallied to take a five-point lead before the under-four timeout, but Trey O’Neil drilled back-to-back triples in a 25 second span to singlehandedly take back the lead, 29-28. The junior knocked one down from the left wing before sinking a long ball from the top of the key while being knocked down on the next possession.

Gillum drilled his second three-pointer late in the half to tie things up at 33, burying one from the left wing off a pass from Aaron Nicholson. The Jayhawks finished the half on a 5-0 run to take a 38-33 lead into the locker room.

Gillum led all scorers in the first half, picking up 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting including both of his three-point attempts. O’Neil added eight points in the half while Nicholson dished out to assists to go along with four points. The Tigers drilled 40.6 percent (13-of-32) of their shots over the first 20 minutes of action.

After Werth dropped in put-back layup after grabbing an offensive rebound to trim the deficit to three, the Jayhawks started to pull away. KU went on a 16-5 run over the next six minutes before scoring 15-straight to go in front by 27 with six minutes to play, 71-44. The Jayhawks led by as many as 32 late in the half, but Isaiah Nunnery drilled a pair of three-pointers down the stretch to help break up the KU rhythm.

The Tigers are set to open the regular season this weekend when they head to Emporia, Kan. for a pair of neutral site contests. FHSU will open the season on Friday (Nov. 10) against No. 15 Southwest Minnesota State before facing off with Sioux Falls on Saturday (Nov. 11). Both contests begin at 5:30 p.m.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team wrapped up its preseason schedule against Kansas State Monday inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Tigers held serve for much of the first half, leading for more than seven minutes and trailing by just nine after the first 20 minutes of play. The Wildcats used a 19-8 advantage in the third quarter to take control, ultimately winning the exhibition contest 61-46.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers knocked down 28.3 percent (17-of-60) of their shots from the floor, but managed to sink 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from behind the arc. Fort Hays State held its own in the rebound department against a much taller Wildcat team with each side grabbing 41 boards. The Tigers grabbed 13 rebounds off the offensive glass, turning those boards into nine second-chance points. K-State used its size advantage to control the game under the basket on their offensive end, outscoring FHSU 34-12 in the paint. The Tiger defense crashed around the perimeter well all night, limiting K-State to 21.7 percent (5-of-23) shooting from behind the arc.

Kacey Kennett and Taylor Rolfs both reached double figures in scoring, leading the Tigers with 10 points each. Tatyana Legette had a strong outing, grabbing 14 rebounds while adding nine points and two assists on the offensive end. Much of the K-State offense ran through Peyton Williams, who dropped in a game-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

The Tigers hung around with K-State for the duration of the first quarter, leading by as many as five early in the frame. Legette won the opening tip and the Tigers took advantage of the first possession with Carly Heim knocking down a three from the top of the key as the shot clock expired. The Tigers extended the advantage to 7-2 when Legette drove to the basket to draw in the defense, finding an open Emma Stroyan for an open 10-foot jumper. K-State scored the next nine points to go in front 11-7, but a deep three-pointer from the top of the key from Rolfs quickly closed the gap to one.

K-State found its rhythm in the second quarter, knocking down 41.2 percent of its shots and extending its lead as far as 12. Heim dropped in a rainbow jumper from the baseline to interrupt a Wildcat run in the heart of the quarter. Belle Barbieri closed the scoring in the opening half with a layup while being fouled, sinking the ensuing free throw to make the score 30-21 as the teams left for the locker room. Barbieri nearly closed the gap to seven at the break, but the basket was waved off as the ball left her hand just after the shot clock went off.

Lindsay Shupe was all over the court on the offensive end in the first half, grabbing three offensive rebounds to go along with two points and one assist. Heim led the Tigers with five points and two assists in the opening frame, while Legette grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

The teams went back and forth to open the third quarter, with the Wildcat lead hovering around 10 for the first five minutes before K-State started to pull away. Kennett knocked down a triple early in the quarter, her first bucket of the game. She added a pair of free throws two possessions later before Heim drilled a three from the right wing, keeping FHSU within three. The Wildcats clamped down on defense over the final six minutes of the period, holding the Tigers 0-for-11 from the floor and forcing three turnovers. K-State made 4-of-6 from the floor during that span, stretching its lead to 49-29 after three quarters of play.

Fort Hays State started to get shots to fall in the fourth quarter, knocking down 7-of-19 from the field over the final 10 minutes while outscoring the Wildcats 17-12. The Tigers opened the period with the ball with Whitney Clampitt feeding a pass to Barbieri at the top of the paint to draw in the defense, allowing Legette to slip under the basket unguarded. Barbieri’s pass found Legette in a perfect position, allowing the junior to make a routine layup. Late in the period, Kennett knocked down a step-back jumper from 15 feet before drilling her second three-pointer of the evening two possessions later. Rolfs put a bow on the evening with a triple from the top of the key to make the final score 61-46.

The Tigers are set to open the regular season this weekend when they travel to Fayette, Iowa for a pair of contests. FHSU will open the year on Friday (Nov. 10) against Upper Iowa at 8 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior kicker Brandon Brown has been named MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week once again, announced Monday (Nov. 6) by the league office. It is the fourth time Brown has earned the honor.

Brown was an integral part of Saturday’s 13-12 road win over Northwest Missouri State, helping the Tigers clinch their first MIAA crown. The San Ramon, Calif. native provided two field goals and one crucial extra point in a defensive battle against the Bearcats. His 48-yard field goal midway through the second quarter tied the game at 3-3, before he gave FHSU its first lead early in the third quarter with the 36-yard field goal. He tacked on the extra point following Fort Hays State’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter, which proved to be the game-winning point after NWMSU rallied to close within one over the final three minutes, 19 seconds.  He did not miss a kick on the day while averaging 55.2 yards on five kickoffs, producing two touchbacks.

The Tigers have now had honorees in nine of ten weeks this season, including Jacob Mezera (Week 1 Offensive Athlete of the Week), Brown (Weeks 1, 4, 7 and 10 Special Teams Athlete of the Week), Nathan Shepherd (Week 2 Defensive Athlete of the Week), Monterio Burchfield (Week 3 Offensive Athlete of the Week), Jose Delgado (Week 5 Defensive Athlete of the Week), and Kenneth Iheme (Weeks 6 and 9 Offensive Athlete of the Week).

Brown and the rest of the Tigers will wrap up the regular season Saturday (Nov. 11) when the 5th-ranked Tigers host Nebraska-Kearney for Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. from Lewis Field Stadium.