Tigers Pick Up First Conference Win Against Seward

Fort Hays Tech Northwest Men's Basketball won their first conference game on Saturday against the Seward County Saints, 82-79.

The scoring was slow to start with Seward picking up easy buckets in the opening minutes of the game with the score at 8-11 in favor of the Saints five minutes in. They extended their lead to eight points, 8-16, with 13:30 remaining in the first half. Tech responded with some back-and-forth scoring, but the Saints went on an 11-point run, making it 27-15 with under nine minutes left. Tech would answer with a 7-0 scoring run of their own, putting the game within reach at 22-28 with 5:40 left. The Tigers continued to press forward on offense, tying the game 30-30 with 2:38 left before taking their first lead of the game, 36-34, going into halftime.

It would be a very competitive second half with the Saints taking back their lead 38-39 with a three-pointer. Tech would take the lead back briefly before the Saints went on another scoring run to put them ahead 44-48 with 16 minutes left. Seward would extend their lead before Tech tied up the game again, 63-63, with 9:08 left on the clock. Each team would continue to exchange buckets before a three-pointer from Chase Harris pushed the Tigers ahead by four, 74-70, with 5:25 left to play. Tech would score another bucket before the Saints cut the lead back down to two points, 78-76, with 2:30 left. Both teams would exchange points again, eventually putting the score at 82-78 with 51 seconds left. The Saints would miss a shot in the paint but draw the foul, sending them to the line. Seward would hit their first free throw with the second shot rimming out, and the Saints would come up with the offensive board and call a timeout with 28 seconds to play. However, the Saints would not be able to execute, with their jumper bouncing off the back of the cast iron and the Tigers quickly moving the ball down the court before being fouled with five seconds left. Tech would attempt to inbound the ball, but the Saints would come away with a steal, giving them another chance to tie the game. With time ticking down, they would get off a last-second shot that missed, finalizing the game, 82-79.

The Tigers finished the game with six players in double figures, with Kalik Sharpe leading the way with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Marquintez Dixon would also have a solid game, putting up 13 points with 5 rebounds. Francisco Monreal, although not a high scorer, contributed with important offensive and defensive rebounds that contributed to their win. 

With the semester coming to a close, the Tigers will return to action on January 4th at home against the Dodge City Conquistadors.