Box Score
HAYS, Kan. - #
Andrew Bridger# hit a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining to tie to score for the Mavericks but the Tigers hit a jumper in the final seconds to give them an 82-80 win over Nebraska-Omaha Wednesday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
UNO, ranked No. 4 in the NCAA South Central Region poll released Wednesday, fell to 14-5 overall and 7-5 in the MIAA. The Tigers, ranked No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the region, moved to 17-1 overall and 11-0 in the conference.
The Mavericks, who trailed most of the game, built a four-point lead with 1:44 remaining when #
Eugene Bain# hit a lay-up. A three-point play by FHSU's Corbin Kuntzsch cut the Maverick lead to a point and then three straight free throws by the Tigers gave them an 80-78 lead with 24 seconds left.
Tim Peinter then missed what would have been a fourth straight Tiger free throw but he got his own rebound and gave his team a chance to put the game away.
Bridger then stole the ball away for UNO and he was fouled with 19 seconds remaining. He hit both of his free throws to tie the game and then the Tigers ran the game clock down to the final seconds before Dominique Jones hit a jumper to give the Tigers the lead with two seconds showing on the clock.
The Mavericks failed to get a shot off in the final seconds.
#
Tyler Bullock# went 11 for 21 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line to give him 32 points. That total was a team season-high and the first 30-point game for any UNO player this year.
Bain had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Bridger ended with 10 points and seven assists. #
Jeff Martin# hit 5 of 9 3-pointers for 15 points.
The Mavs shot 47 percent in the game while FHSU was 46 percent. UNO was 50 percent from 3-point range.
Aside from two ties in the first two minutes of the game, the Mavericks trailed until the 10-minute mark of the second half when #
Matt Newman# hit a 3-pointer to tie the score, 58-58. The Tigers led by as much as 13 in the half before but an 18-5 run erased that.
Fort Hays State pushed the lead back to six before a 3 by Bullock at 6:04 gave UNO its first lead of the day. The Mavericks never led by more then a possession after that until Bain's lay-up put them up by four.
Five different Tigers scored in double figures with Willie Hassell leading with 17 off the bench. Peinter had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
