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Tiger blowout in regular season finale

3/1/2010

By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

It was the most lopsided conference victory all season for the Fort Hays State University men's basketball team.

But Emporia State University will get another crack at Fort Hays when it matters most -- at the conference's postseason tournament.

Fort Hays, ranked 15th in NCAA Division II, handed Emporia State a 94-47 thumping Sunday afternoon in the regular-season finale at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

"When we're bad, we're bad," Emporia State coach David Moe said. "When we're not ready to play, we get run over."

It was the largest margin of victory for Fort Hays in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association game this season. The Tigers beat Truman State (Mo.) University by 37 on Feb. 11.

The 47-point margin of defeat was the Hornets' largest this season and the largest in the all-time series between the two schools. The previous worst was a 31-point setback against Washburn University on Jan. 16.

Fort Hays (22-5 overall, 16-4 MIAA) and Emporia State (13-14, 9-11) will meet again Friday in Kansas City, Mo., in an MIAA first-round game. The No. 7 seed Hornets and No. 2 Tigers will tip off at 6 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium.

"They did a great job, obviously," Moe said of the Tigers on Sunday. "We've got to come back ready next Friday."

Emporia State had been on a winning streak to make the MIAA tourney.

"We won four in a row to get to the conference tournament," Moe said. "It's not the first time we've been embarrassed, the first time blown out."

Fort Hays, meanwhile, was celebrating Senior Day in front of 4,032 fans, and needed a win if it was to have any hope of hosting the South Central Regional.

"Big difference between us and Emporia, we had something to play for," Fort Hays coach Mark Johnson said. "They probably were saving everything back for Friday."

Fort Hays jumped out to a 20-7 lead 10 minutes into the game, and didn't let up from there.

The Tigers were up 47-25 at halftime, shooting 56 percent from 3-point range and 55 percent overall in the first 20 minutes.

"It was everything," Moe said. "They played tougher, they played smarter."

The Tigers started the second half going on a 26-6 run to take a 73-31 lead with 11 minutes left.

Johnson took his four seniors out of the game with 10 minutes remaining, as the fans gave them a standing ovation.

"All four of those seniors sacrificed more for the team," Johnson said of Orrin Greer, Willie Hassell, Ryan Herrman and Tim Peintner.

Every Tiger who suited up, scored. Fort Hays placed five players in double figures, led by 14 points apiece from Greer and junior Dominique Jones. Hassell and Peintner added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Seldom-used sophomore Ben Congiusta, a 3-point specialist, swished three treys in the second half and finished with 13 points.

"Just overall a very fine performance," Johnson said. "Can't read too much into it going into Friday's game."

Fort Hays finished the night shooting 50 percent from 3-point land (10-of-20) and 58 percent overall. Emporia State ended up 28 percent from the floor and 16 percent from beyond the arc (3-of-19).

Senior Tim Niles came off the bench to score 14 points to lead the Hornets.

Moe was left wondering what to do in five days' time.

"We've got to re-assess where we're at, find a way to be competitive," Moe said.

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