Can't
get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Tigers set for rematch with Baptist
2/17/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
Will he or won't he, that is the question.
As far as Tiger men's basketball coach Mark Johnson is concerned, star senior center Matt Rogers will be in the lineup Thursday when Fort Hays State University travels to Bolivar, Mo., to play Southwest Baptist University.
Rogers, the 6-foot-11 All-American for the Bearcats, hurt his knee five games ago. Johnson doesn't know Rogers' status for the 7:30 p.m. tipoff in a key Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup, but he assumes the Bearcat star will play.
"Kind of game plan he's going to be there", Johnson said of Rogers, who averages 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. "I don't think they play a whole lot different when he's not there."
Rogers scored 30 points in Southwest Baptist's 102-89 loss in Hays early last month. But he went down early in the Bearcats' home win over Missouri Southern State University on Jan. 30, and has missed the last four games.
Southwest Baptist (19-7 overall, 10-6 MIAA) won the first two games at home minus Rogers, but lost the last two on the road, giving up 100 points to Emporia State University and again on Saturday in Topeka against Washburn University (100-71).
"They won all the home games when he didn't play," Johnson said. "Basically, think it's going to be a home game (for Southwest Baptist), going to make it a big challenge."
Fort Hays (19-4, 13-3), dropped into a tie for 12th in the national poll after losing 79-63 at home to third-ranked University of Central Missouri on Saturday. After playing Thursday, the Tigers will be in Joplin, Mo., on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game against Missouri Southern State University (14-9, 8-8).
"Main thing on both these teams, they're better at home," Johnson said. "Concerned about how the team is going to react" after Saturday's loss.
Southwest Baptist likes to play an uptempo style, and less than 48 hours later, the Tigers will face Missouri Southern's full-court, trapping defense.
Missouri Southern didn't show its press in an 87-81 loss in Hays in early January, but Johnson expects that to change in the rematch.
"I was kind of surprised we didn't see" the press in Hays, Johnson said. "I would anticipate on their home floor we'll see more full-court traps."
Preparing for the Lions, especially on short notice, is not easy, Johnson said.
"Their style of play is something we don't see the rest of the year," Johnson said.
Sophomore swingman Jason Adams is averaging 19 points and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead Missouri Southern.
Junior guard Dominique Jones averages 13.3 points and junior guard Corbin Kuntzsch averages 13.1 points to lead Fort Hays. Kuntzsch scored a career-high 33 against Southwest Baptist in their first meeting, and led Fort Hays with 18 points in the first game against Missouri Southern.
Fort Hays was third in the South Central Regional rankings, which were to be updated this afternoon; the top eight teams make the playoffs.
"This really is an important swing for us," Johnson said. "We need to win some more games to lock up a tournament berth."
Fort Hays returns home next week to end the regular season with games against Pittsburg State University and Emporia State.
"We don't want it to come down to the last two home games," Johnson said.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| TS | 04/06 | Emporia State | L 8-1 |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 10-2 (5 inn.) |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 13-3 (5 inn.) |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| TS | 03/23 | Kansas Wesleyan | L 6-3 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 20-8 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 6-5 |
| SB | 03/19 | Nebraska-Omaha | L 4-2 |
| SB | 03/19 | Truman State | W 4-1 |
| SB | 03/18 | Mo. Western | L 6-2 |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |