Skip To Main Content

scoreboard

Skip to Navigation

SMSU Athletics

Schedule

Stevens
Aeron Stevens knocks the ball away in the first half on Saturday
56
Southwest Minn. St. SMSU 0-1,0-0 NSIC
65
Winner Fort Hays St. FHSU 1-0,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Southwest Minn. St. SMSU
0-1,0-0 NSIC
56
Final
65
Fort Hays St. FHSU
1-0,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southwest Minn. St. SMSU 20 36 56
Fort Hays St. FHSU 23 42 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

First half shooting woes doom SMSU in loss at FHSU

HAYS, Kan. – The No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team opened its season on Saturday afternoon suffering a 65-56 road loss to Fort Hays State in the opening day of the MIAA/NSIC Challenge inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
SMSU was not able to overcome a rough first half of shooting in which the Mustangs made just 8 of 28 field goals, while FHSU was efficient in the half shooting 53 percent in building a 23-20 halftime advantage.
 
FHSU, which made the NCAA tournament a season ago, stormed out of the gate in the second half in building a 15-point lead in the first eight minutes before eventually extending the lead to 56-34 with just under seven minutes left in the game.
 
SMSU would not go away and pulled to within 60-52 with just under two minutes remaining, but FHSU would hold off the comeback attempt to earn the victory.
 
SMSU had three players score in double figures with Mekhi Shaw closing with a team-high 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting with three steals. Jakob Braaten scored 12 points with three field goals, while redshirt freshman Micah Schlaak also scored 12 points in his first career game with five field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers. Mason Lund pulled down 11 rebounds for the Mustangs.
 
The Mustangs shot 35 percent (19 of 54) in the game, including 6 of 21 from 3-point range and committed 16 turnovers.
 
The Tigers, led by Jahvari Martino and Dan Mukuna, who both scored 17 points, finished the game shooting 52 percent (22 of 42) with three 3-pointers. FHSU closed the afternoon with a 31-30 rebound advantage.
 
Shaw and Brayson Boike hit 3-pointers to give the Mustangs an early lead before Landon Pokorski connected on a 3-pointer to give SMSU a 15-6 advantage seven minutes into the game.
 
FHSU rallied using outstanding defense using a 17-2 run over the next 12 minutes to build a 23-17 lead with 90 seconds left in the half. Shaw closed the half with a big 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 23-20 at halftime.
 
SMSU continues MIAA/NSIC Challenge play on Sunday with a 4 p.m. match up versus Nebraska-Kearney.  
 
Print Friendly Version