WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Shizz Alston Jr. scored 22 points, Nate Pierre-Louis added 21 and Temple rallied to beat Wichita State 85-81 in overtime Sunday in its American Athletic Conference home debut.

Pierre-Louis made the go-ahead layup (78-76) with 2:39 left in overtime and Temple (11-3, 1-1) led the rest of the way.

After Alston’s long 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock made it 83-79 with 48.4 seconds left, Samajae Haynes-Jones made a layup and got fouled. He missed the free throw but followed with the offensive rebound. After working the ball, Erik Stevenson drove the right baseline but lost the ball and Temple recovered.

Near the end of regulation, Markis McDuffie made a 3 with 3:35 left and Wichita State (7-7, 0-2) led 74-63. But the Shockers didn’t score again and the Owls went on an 11-0 run to force overtime. Alston’s jumper with 37 seconds left tied it at 74. Dexter Dennis missed a potential game-winning 3-point attempt with four seconds left.

Wichita State led 45-32 at halftime before Temple outscored the Shockers 20-8 and shaved the deficit to 53-52 on a Quinton Rose layup with 12:22 remaining. Rose finished with 17 points.

McDuffie scored 24, Haynes-Jones 22, Dennis 14 and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler 12.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Brady Werth had a double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds and Fort Hays State used a decisive run over a 15 minute stretch of the first and second halves to beat Southwest 73-58 Saturday at the Meyer Sports Center.

After trailing by six early in the game, the Tigers (9-4, 3-1 MIAA) closed the first half on a 12-3 run to go up nine at the break. It was part of a 33-11 run that pushed their lead to 22.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers defense held SBU 8-5, 2-2 MIAA) to season-low 35-percent shooting and season-low in points.

Marcus Cooper added 10 points while Aaron Nicholson and Trey O’Neil both scored nine.

Two night’s after being held to a season low in shooting and scoring, the Tigers shoot 50-percent from the floor and went 11-for-23 from three including 8-for-14 in the second half.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Carlie Heim scored a game-high 16 points and Fort Hays State used a big run midway through the second quarter to take control in a 92-67 win over Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon at the Meyer Sports Center.

The win is a program best 13th straight to open the season and is the 218th for Tony Hobson making him the winningest coach in FHSU history.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers (13-0, 4-0 MIAA) led by 10 in the first quarter before Southwest Baptist (4-9, 0-4 MIAA) closed the frame with an 11-1 run to tie the game 19-19.

The Tigers were up two with 4:45 to play in the second when they scored 12 unanswered to take control. It was part of a 29-5 run over the next 10 minutes that saw their lead grow to 28.

The Tigers scored 38 points off 22 SBU turnovers and added 20 second chance points off 16 offensive rebounds.

FHSU had four players reach double-figures. Whitney Randall came off the bench to score 15, Belle Barbiere, who made 4-for-5 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 free throws added 13 and Lanie Page 12.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Central Missouri outscored Fort Hays State 28-12 over the final 10 minutes as they rally for a 63-54 win Thursday at the Multitpurpose Building.

Kyler Kinnamon hit a jumper to give the Tigers (8-4, 2-1 MIAA) a seven point lead with 10:06 to play but the Mules (8-4, 1-2 MIAA) answered with a 15-3 run to take the lead back for good and end the Tigers six-game win streak.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Brady Werth hit three of the Tigers seven 3-pointers and scored 14 points. Marcus Cooper added 10. Werth and Jared Vitztum, who also hit three 3-pointers, both pulled down seven rebounds.

Jacob Lowrance and James Byrd both came off the bench to lead the Mules with 14 points each. Matt Wilkinson added 12 as UCM wins their third straight.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Belle Barbiere tied a career-high with 14 points and Fort Hays State held No. 15 Central Missouri to a season low in shooting and scoring in a 56-46 win at the Multipurpose Building. The fifth-ranked Tigers held the Jennies to 32-percent shooting as they pick up their second ever road win over a nationally ranked team.

The victory was also the 217th for coach Tony Hobson at FHSU which ties him with Helen Miles for the most in program history.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

After UCM (8-3, 1-2 MIAA) hit a couple of 3-pointers to start the game, the Tigers (12-0, 3-0 MIAA) answered with a 12-2 run to go up four. The Jennies scored the next six points to go up 14-12 but the Tigers scored the next seven to push the lead to five and would never trail again.

UCM pulled within two early in the fourth quarter but FHSU responded with a 9-0 run to go up 11 and led by as many as 12 late.

Carly Heim also scored 14 and Kacey Kennett added 10.

The Tigers first nine made baskets were all layup as they shoot 45-percent from the floor.

Fort Hays State received a final ranking of No. 22 in the final D2Football.com Poll for 2018. The Tigers mirror their final AFCA Poll ranking after finishing the season 9-3 overall.

Fort Hays State held a Top 25 ranking in 12 of the 13 polls released by D2Football.com this season. The only absence from the poll was after a Week 6 loss to Emporia State, but the Tigers jumped back in after their Week 7 win against Pittsburg State. FHSU was in the top 25 in 10 of the 11 weeks during the regular season, while also gracing the preseason and final polls. A No. 8 ranking following the first week of play was the highest for the Tigers in the D2Football.com Poll this year.

Fort Hays State earned its second-straight MIAA Championship in 2018, going 9-2 in the regular season. The Tigers were a perfect 11-0 in MIAA play in 2017. The Tigers also made their second-straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Below is the final D2Football.com Top 25 Poll for 2018.

Team		Record	Previous
1	Valdosta State	14-0	5
2	Ferris State	15-1	2
3	Minnesota State	13-1	1
4	Tarleton State	12-1	6
5	Notre Dame	13-1	12
6	Ouachita Baptist	12-1	3
7	CSU-Pueblo	11-2	8
8	Northwest Missouri State	10-3	14
9	Texas A&M-Commerce	10-3	18
10	Lenoir-Rhyne	12-2	19
11	Grand Valley State	10-2	7
12	Indianapolis	10-2	11
13	Minnesota Duluth	11-1	4
14	West Georgia	10-2	9
15	Colorado School of Mines	10-2	16
16	Midwestern State	8-2	15
17	Slippery Rock	11-3	nr
18	Bowie State	10-3	22
19	LIU-Post	10-1	13
20	New Haven	9-3	24
21	West Chester	10-1	10
22	Fort Hays State	9-3	17
23	Hillsdale	10-3	25
24	Harding	9-3	20
25	Wingate	9-4	NR

FAYETTE, Iowa – The Fort Hays State wrestling team moved up two spots in the second set of regular season DII Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, released Monday (Dec. 31) by the organization. The Tigers are one of five MIAA teams in the national rankings at Nebraska-Kearney took over the top spot, unseating St. Cloud State, Lindenwood sits at No. 8, Central Oklahoma is tabbed one spot in front of the Tigers are No. 13 and Newman rounds out the conference at No. 22.

In the individual rankings, junior Brandon Ball jumped two spots to the second-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds. He sits at 9-0 on the year with individual titles at the Bethany Swede Open and the Bob Smith Open. Ball also began his dual season with a 6-0 decision over Nate Keim of Central Oklahoma (Dec. 7).

Also in the rankings is Efe Osaghae, who held steady at No. 4 in the 157-pound weight class. The sophomore is putting together a solid season thus far at 12-2 overall. Osaghae picked up the individual title at the Swede Open before capturing runner-up finishes at the UNK Holiday Inn Open and the Bob Smith Open. Osaghae also started his dual season with a victory as he defeated Dayton Garrett with a 5-4 decision.

The Tigers resume their season at the National Duals this weekend (Jan. 4-5) in Louisville, Ky. The duals are set to commence at 10 a.m. both days.

HAYS, Kan. – Brady Werth scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the first half, Marcus Cooper tallied 14 of his 19 points in the second and Fort Hays State used a strong second half to pull away from McPherson College 82-54 for their sixth straight win Sunday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.

The Tigers trailed by six on several occasions in the first half and were down four with 1:20 before taking a one-point halftime lead on a Cooper three.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Marcus Cooper Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers (8-3) opened the second half with a 22-2 run to blow the game open.

Cooper finished 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and Werth hit 3-of-5 from long range.

The Tigers shot 65-percent in the second half and finished 54-percent for the game including 12-of-29 from beyond the arc. They also pulled down 14 offensive rebounds which resulted in 22 second chance points.

FHSU struggled early, turning the ball over on five of their first seven possessions and taking over four minutes to score.

HAYS, Kan. – Lanie Page led five Tigers in double-figures with 13 points as Fort Hays State set a new school record for wins to start a season following an 84-41 victory over Bethany College Sunday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.

The 11-0 Tigers used an early 9-0 run to build a nine-point first quarter lead and were never really threatened after that. Following a 12-3 run by the Swedes (8-7) midway through the second quarter, FHSU closed out the first half on a 15-3 run to lead by 27 at the break.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Belle Barbiere, Whitney Clampitt and Whitney Randall all scored 11 while Tatyana Legette added 10 and dished out four of the Tigers 20 assists.

The Tigers blocked 15 shots and had 14 steals while turning the ball over only three times.

The win closed out non-conference play. The sixth-ranked Tigers return to action Thursday when they travel to Central Missouri to face the Jennies who ended their season a year ago in the NCAA Tournament.

Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus previews the Chiefs Sunday night prime time game in Seattle against the Seahawks.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.

After climbing in the polls each week this season, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team is listed in the same spot in both national rankings as it was last week. The Tigers are listed sixth in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll while sitting in fourth in the D2SIDA Media Poll. It’s the first time the Tigers are in the same spot in back-to-back weeks in the coaches standings since they were seventh in consecutive weeks in January and February of 2016.

While their ranking stayed the same, the Tigers picked up a few extra points in the coaches poll to close the gap on fifth place. Fort Hays State was once again listed atop one ballot, earning 476 points in the voting process. After sitting 15 points back of fifth-place Bentley last week, the Tigers are just five points behind the Falcons this week.

The Tigers remain the top of four MIAA programs listed in the coaches poll, with No. 15 Central Missouri also holding steady while No. 22 Central Oklahoma and No. 23 Emporia State both slid up one spot. The Jennies are the lone conference rival ranked in the media rankings, listed 22nd.

Fort Hays State will play all three ranked league opponents over a two-week span early in January, with two of the contests coming on the road. After ringing in the new year against defending champion Central Missouri on January 3 in Warrensburg, Mo., the Tigers will host the Bronchos of Central Oklahoma on January 12. FHSU will wrap up the tough stretch with a road game against the Lady Hornets on January 17.

The Tigers are now 61-22 all-time while ranked, including a 57-21 mark under head coach Tony Hobson. Fort Hays State is now 6-1 all-time as the No. 6-ranked team in the WBCA Coaches Poll, just two wins shy of its most wins at any spot (No. 10, 8-2).

Below are the complete national polls for December 18, 2018.

WBCA Coaches Poll – Week 5						D2SIDA Media Poll – Week 5
Rk	Team (1st)	Rcd.	Pts.	Prev.		Rk	Team (1st)	Rcd.	Pts.	Prev.
1	Union (Tenn.) (20)	11-0	595	1		1	Union (13)	10-0	372	1
2	Indiana (Pa.) (3)	8-0	568	2		2	Bentley (1)	12-0	356	2
3	West Texas A&M	9-0	541	3		3	West Texas A&M	8-0	346	3
4	Drury	11-0	523	4		4	Fort Hays State	9-0	326	4
5	Bentley	12-0	481	5		5	Northwest Nazarene (1)	9-0	320	5
6	Fort Hays State (1)	10-0	476	6		6	Lewis	7-1	294	6
7	Northwest Nazarene	9-0	456	7		7	IUP	8-0	292	7
8	Ashland	9-1	410	8		8	Drury	10-0	258	10
9	University of the Sciences	8-0	402	9		9	UC San Diego	8-0	254	9
10	UC San Diego	8-0	347	10		10	North Georgia	6-1	232	11
11	Grand Valley State	9-1	345	11		11	California	8-0	206	12
12	Virginia Union	9-1	315	12		12	Augustana	12-1	194	14
13	California (Pa.)	8-0	304	14		13	Jefferson	10-0	193	17
14	Alaska Anchorage	7-1	271	13		14	Grand Valley	8-1	174	T15
15	Central Missouri	7-2	235	15		15	Florida Southern	7-1	164	13
16	North Georgia	7-1	232	16		16	USciences	8-0	162	8
17	Florida Southern	8-1	209	17		17	Alaska Anchorage	7-1	142	T15
18	Black Hills State	8-1	175	18		18	Virginia Union	9-1	116	19
19	Thomas Jefferson Univ.	10-0	169	19		19	Ashland	8-1	105	21
20	Lewis	8-1	153	20		20	Southwestern Okla.	9-1	90	22
21	Angelo State	6-1	121	22		21	Angelo State	6-1	88	23
22	Central Oklahoma	9-1	118	23		22	Central Missouri	7-2	47	24
T23	Augustana (S.D.)	11-1	65	NR		23	Anderson (S.C.)	8-2	43	NR
T23	Emporia State	8-2	65	24		T24	Glenville State	9-1	23	RV
25	Stonehill	9-2	52	25		T24	St. Mary’s (Texas)	8-2	23	18