January 27, 2024 – The Emporia State men came up short on the road against Fort Hays State, falling 67-62 against the Tigers from Gross Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
In the early stages, Emporia State started slow offensively as Fort Hays State opened the game on an 11-2 scoring run that last until the 17:10 mark of the first half. Following the initial run from the Tigers, the Hornets stabilized and outscored the hosts 16-8 over the next seven minutes as a layup from
Atavian Butler made the score 19-18 with 9:54 left to play in the first.
Fort Hays State was able to score seven of the next nine points, restoring their lead to 26-20 by the 5:15 mark. The Tigers kept the Hornets at bay over the next three minutes as they held a 35-28 advantage with 2:01 to play in the first half.
The Hornets put together an 8-0 scoring run over the final two minutes, capped off by a layup from
Kaden Evans in the final seconds, giving Emporia State a 36-35 lead entering the halftime break.
In the first half, Emporia State and Fort Hays State both shot north of 44% in the half with the Hornets shooting 15-30. The Hornets also outrebounded the Tigers 18-17 in the first 20 minutes.
Following the break,
Owen Long got things started for the Hornets, scoring on consecutive possessions to push the lead to 40-35. Fort Hays State responded to the baskets from Long with nine of the next 10 points, putting the Tigers in front 44-41 with 13:11 to play.
Another scoring run came for the Hornets, as they scored seven straight points, capped off by jumper from
Owen Long to put Emporia State ahead 48-44 at the 11:10 mark.
Fort Hays State scored five straight points to regain the lead as game continued to be back-and forth for much of the second half. Emporia State's final lead came with 4:22 to play as
Alijah Comithier knocked down a three to put the Hornets ahead 58-57.
The Tigers would outscore the Hornets 10-4 over the final four minutes as Emporia State fell in their road matchup with Fort Hays State 67-62.
As a team, Emporia State shot 48.1% from the floor but just 5-14 from three and 7-13 from the free throw line.
Alijah Comithier led all scorers with 21 points while
Atavian Butler and
Owen Long also reached double figures with 12 points each.
Emporia State's road trip will continue Thursday, February 1 as they take on Northeastern State. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Tahlequah, Okla.
