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Ranked teams play Saturday in Hays
1/8/2010
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Junior forward Ken Bowman stood outside the Fort Hays State University locker room shortly after the Tiger men's basketball team finished celebrating its 81-71 victory against top-ranked University of Central Missouri on Monday night. Bowman wore a smile and was excited about the win, but he knew FHSU's next contest carried equal importance.
On Saturday, the 10th-ranked Tigers will play host to No. 11 Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Game time is 2 p.m. for the women, 4 p.m. for the men.
Fort Hays sits at 12-1 overall and 6-0 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Southwest Baptist stands at 14-2, 5-1 in the conference. A Tiger win would keep Fort Hays in sole possession of first place. A loss could mean four teams with one conference defeat.
"Oh yeah, first place in the MIAA is all that matters," Bowman said. "We drop that one, then we are tied for first. I don't want to be tied for first. I like to have it all to myself."
While the teams are separated by just one spot in the national polls, Fort Hays has a much stronger statistical resume. Boosted by road wins at Central Missouri and University of Nebraska-Omaha and a close loss to nationally-ranked NCAA Division I Kansas State University, the Tigers are No. 1 in Division II by statistician Kenneth Massey at masseyratings.com. Massey also has Fort Hays No. 1 in total defense and playing Division II's toughest schedule.
SBU is 11th in the nation with the No. 6 offense and a defense that is 174th.
However, the Bearcats have given the Tigers problems since FHSU joined the MIAA four years ago. Fort Hays is 2-4 versus the Bearcats, including 1-2 in Hays. The Tigers, who have won nine straight home games, suffered their last home loss to Southwest Baptist last Feb. 18, 86-84.
"They are only one game behind us and we can't afford to lose that game because now they have already got you at home and you have got to go back to their place," Tiger coach Mark Johnson said.
Southwest Baptist has been the conference's best team the last several years, winning three of the past four MIAA crowns, including the last two. Center Matt Rogers, one of the country's best players, has won back-to-back MIAA MVP and MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors.
A two-time All-American, Rogers averages 23 points, 7.6 rebounds and nearly four blocks a game. In addition, the 6-foot-11 senior shoots 57 percent from the field, including 49 percent from 3-point range. He keys an offense that averages 89.5 points per contest. SBU ranks in the top 10 in Division II in scoring offense, 3-point field goals per game and free-throw percentage. Four Bearcats average in double figures, including Kurtis Koenig at 13.4 points per game and who shoots 46 percent from beyond the arc.
The Tigers, traditionally a strong defensive team under Johnson, stand seventh in the nation in scoring defense, eighth in field goal percentage defense and 19th in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
"Every game we take seriously," junior guard Dominique Jones said. "We put everything out there on the court."
Fort Hays has improved offensively from past seasons. The Tigers, who rank eighth in Division II in scoring margin at 22.3 points per contest, have won all six MIAA games by double figures. The Tigers average 80 points a game, more than 10 points better than their first three seasons in the MIAA. Jones, a lightning-quick guard, scored a career-high 28 against Central Missouri and paces FHSU with 13.4 points a contest.
"The thing is, you guys don't get to see Dom everyday in practice because he does this stuff all the time," Bowman said. "He really was the catalyst for our offense (versus Central). In the first half, he stepped up and carried our offense. In the second half, he just made plays to keep it going."
The 6-9 Bowman tallies 12.4 points a contest, while junior guard Corbin Kuntzsch averages 11.9 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds. Senior guard Willie Hassell scores 8.8 points a night. The Tigers are again expected to be without senior starter Tim Peintner, a 6-6 forward who averages 9.5 points per game. Peintner has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle.
"(Jones) and Willie both, they are not big, but they are quick," Central Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. "You can jump out there and try to stop them, but they can split you. (They) are a hard matchup."
Senior Orrin Greer and 6-8 junior forward Dijon Smith contribute 7.0 and 6.9 points per game, respectively. Overall, FHSU shoots 42.7 percent from 3-point range, on pace to be the second-best percentage in school history.
"We have always been more of a set play team and this team, we do better freelancing and playing," Johnson said. "I think that's where Dominique and Willie are at their best. We try to play off them and then throw it inside to Ken and Dijon, and then Corbin is a guy that is just going to find his offense on his own."
| 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 |