NW Kansas News

Fort Hays State overcame a sluggish performance offensively to knock off Nebraska-Kearney with a late basket on Saturday (Jan. 14) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. With the game tied and shot clock off, Kaleb Hammeke hit a driving layup with six seconds remaining to lift the Tigers to a 57-55 victory. FHSU is now 12-5 overall, 7-4 in the MIAA, while UNK moved to 3-13 overall, 1-9 in the MIAA.

The Lopers outrebounded the Tigers by 20, but the Tigers made up for it with a +12 effort in turnover margin. FHSU had a 21-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

In the first half, the Tigers struggled to just 32.3 percent shooting from the field, but UNK was not much better at 36 percent. UNK jumped out to an 11-2 advantage to start the game, but FHSU countered with a 15-2 run to move in front 17-13 with about eight minutes to go until halftime. The Tiger lead reached five twice before the Lopers brought the game back to level by halftime, 28-28.

The Lopers jumped back in front for the first seven minutes of the second half, but the Tigers erased a five-point deficit with an 8-0 run to go up 38-35 with 12 minutes remaining. All eight points were from Traejon Davis, who was a big spark off the Tiger bench with a pair of 3-point field goals and a layup. That pushed his point total for the game up to 15, finishing just one shy of his career high.

The Lopers were able to counter with a six-point swing of their own to go back up by three and held onto the lead for about seven and a half minutes. Down six, brothers Kaleb Hammeke and Lucas Hammeke brought the Tigers back to even with a pair of clutch old-fashioned 3-point plays on drives to the basket. Kaleb had his at the 3:09 mark to get the deficit to three, then Lucas knotted the game up with his at 2:35.

The Lopers hit a 3-point field goal with just over two minutes remaining to take the lead again, but the Tigers countered with four-straight points to go up one. Kaleb Hammeke made another layup off an assist from Davis, then Bjarni Jonsson had a steal and a fast-break layup to put the Tigers up one. However, UNK made another 3-point field goal and took a two-point lead with a minute to go. The brother tandem came up big for the Tigers once again as Kaleb found Lucas on a cut underneath the basket for an easy two to get the game back to level. UNK missed a shot and it set up the late-game heroics for Kaleb, who hit the game-winner with six seconds to go. A UNK 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell off the mark.

Kaleb Hammeke finished with 18 points to lead the Tigers, going 7-of-12 from the field. Davis finished with 15, while Lucas Hammeke led the bench scorers with seven. Davis was the top man for the Tigers in rebounds with six and assists with three.

Darrian Nebeker led the Lopers with 14 points. Sean Evans and Winston Cook each had 12. Tom Connelly and Evans each pulled down nine rebounds, while Nebeker and Jaleque Dunson each had a team-high four assists.

The Tigers head on the road this next week for their only meetings of the season with Washburn and Emporia State. The Tigers take on the Ichabods in Topeka on Wednesday night (Jan. 18), then the Hornets in Emporia on Sunday (Jan. 22).

Original source can be found here.