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HAYS, Kan. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team upset Fort Hays State 75-72 Friday night inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
The RiverHawks (14-12, 9-10 MIAA) spoiled Senior Night for six Tigers, kept hopes of a home playoff game alive and also guaranteed a winning final season for retiring coach Larry Gipson. The loss for FHSU (22-6, 13-6 MIAA) was the first at home since Dec. 21 and just the second all season (12-2).
 
NSU will learn its fate in the MIAA Championship on March 1 when Washburn travels to Pittsburg State for a 3:30 p.m. tip. If the Ichabods win, they will earn the No. 8 seed in the tournament and will play host to Northeastern State in the first round on March 4. If they lose to the Gorillas, then the RiverHawks will host WU on March 4 in the 8-9 matchup. Washburn is currently on a six-game road losing streak, but the team defeated Pittsburg State 83-80 in Topeka on Jan. 18.
 
In the victory over the Tigers, senior guard Bryton Hobbs clinched the MIAA regular-season scoring title with a 30-point effort. He was 9-of-15 from the field and 10-of-10 at the free-throw line. He also added seven rebounds and seven assists. Junior forward Landon DeMasters was the only other member of the team in double figures, as he finished with 15 points.
 
NSU shot 55 percent (22-for-40) from the field, 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from downtown and 84.6 percent (22-for-26) at the free-throw line. The RiverHawks posted their best shooting percentage since Jan. 9 and their best percentage from beyond the arc since Dec. 19.
 
Fort Hays State shot 49.2 percent (29-for-59) from the field, 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from distance and 42.9 percent (6-for-14) at the charity stripe. Seniors Dwayne Brunson (22 points) and Carson Konrade (18 points) combined for 40 points in a losing effort on their Senior Night. Craig Nicholson added 13 points for the home side.
 
FHSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but NSU battled back and moved ahead 18-17 with 10:08 left in the first half. Brunson connected on a jumper on the Tigers' next possession and they never trailed again until late in the game.
 
Fort Hays State had an 11-point first-half lead at one point, but the team settled for a 43-36 cushion at intermission.
 
The RiverHawks were able to dwindle down the deficit and tie the game at 53-53 with 11:03 left following a 9-0 run.
 
The Tigers jumped back on top by five, but an 8-1 run capped by a three from junior guard Dalen Qualls gave NSU its first lead of the second half with 6:53 to play.
 
The two teams exchanged the lead over the next five minutes, but a layup from Hobbs with 1:40 remaining put Northeastern State on top for good. NSU scored on its last four possessions, with all eight points coming from Hobbs.
 
The RiverHawks held Fort Hays State to just 29 points in the second half, which marked the first time all season FHSU failed to reach 30 points in the final 20 minutes. This was also the first time this year NSU held an opponent to less than 30 second-half points.
 
Scoring Summary
Northeastern State              36        39         75
Fort Hays State                    43        29         72
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH LARRY GIPSON
Opening Statement…
"We played like a very tough-minded basketball team tonight. (Fort Hays State) got us down early. It was an emotional night for them on their Senior Night. We just hung in there. We couldn't guard them very easily in the first half, but we made some defensive adjustments and started blocking out better. We were able to limit their second-chance opportunities. We were also better in our transitional defense, cutting (Craig) Nicholson off of getting to the lane. We hung in there, we played to win, and I am proud of our team's effort tonight."
 
On beating one of the best teams in the league on the road on Senior Night…
"(NSU Women's Basketball Coach) Randy (Gipson) and I talked about this last night. We sat and watched Arkansas win at Kentucky. (Razorback Coach) Mike Anderson is a good friend of mine. We just talked about how it is the best feeling in the world to go on the road and get a win against a team like Fort Hays State. I feel double that now that we were able to beat them. One of the great aspects of coaching is when a group of kids come together and play as well as they did tonight."
 
On the individual performances…
"Landon DeMasters deserves a lot of credit. He took four charges and really stabilized our defense. We got positive contributions from everybody that played tonight, but Landon really stood out to me. Everybody that got into the game played with determination. They didn't hold their heads down when we got down early. They continued to fight and it paid off."
 
On whether he prefers to play at home or on the road against Washburn next Tuesday…
"It's always better to play at home, but the team I saw tonight … If we play like we did tonight, we can beat anybody in this league. We have one more game, and that's all we can ask for. I'm also real happy that we are at least going to finish with a winning record now."
 
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