HAYS, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team sliced a 12-point second-half margin to four with 2:30 to play but could not overcome the Fort Hays State University Tigers in a 72-65 defeat at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
Northwest slips to 4-13 overall and 2-6 in MIAA play. Fort Hays State moves to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in league play. FHSU is 10-1 at home this season.
 
Freshman Marcus Glock buried a career-high five three-pointers and led Northwest with 18 points. Glock was 5-of-8 from three-point range on the day. Senior Byron Alexander posted 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including a three-pointer. Trey Moala was the third Bearcat in double-figure scoring with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor.
 
FHSU a 12-point lead at 65-53 with 4:13 to play after a three-pointer by Kyle Grill from in front of the Tiger bench. Glock then connected on back-to-back triples to slice the lead in half at 65-59 with 3:06 to go when FHSU head coach Mark Johnson called a timeout. Emorie Knox knocked in two free throws after a Bearcat stop to climb to within 65-61 with 2:30 left.
 
Northwest had two possessions in the final two minutes to trim the lead to less than four, but a pair of Knox turnovers stymied the comeback. Glock buried a three-pointer from the corner in front of the Bearcat bench with :22 left and hit a free throw to complete a four-point play to wrap up Northwest's scoring on the day. FHSU's Traejon Davis hit both ends of a 1-and-1 free throws opportunity with :16.7 left to give the Tigers a 72-65 victory.
 
The Tigers held the Bearcats scoreless for the first three minutes of the game and built a 9-0 advantage. Luke Moustakas came off the bench to bury a three-pointer for Northwest's first field goal of the game with 15:15 to play. Moustakas's three-pointer keyed a 10-0 Bearcat run that evened the matchup at 14-14 with 12:35 to play. Northwest forced FHSU into nine straight missed shots in the 10-point Northwest surge.
 
The Bearcats would take their first lead of the contest at 17-16 on a three-pointer from Marcus Glock with 8:59 to play in the half. FHSU pushed the advantage back to five at 22-17, only to see the Bearcats respond with a pair of triples from Padraig Gallagher and Emorie Knox. Knox's three-pointer put Northwest on top, 23-22 with 4:30 left in the half.
 
FHSU closed the half on a 9-4 run to take a 33-29 lead at the break. Byron Alexander scored 10 first-half points to lead the Bearcat scoring attack. Alexander was 3-of-3 from the field. FHSU out-rebounded Northwest in the opening 20 minutes, 21-14.
 
Northwest returns to action Wednesday at home against the No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
 
NOTES: Byron Alexander surpassed 800 points scored in his collegiate career with a field goal at the 15:39 mark of the second half  … Alexander connected on his first three-pointer of the season in the first half … Alexander entered the game 0-of-5 from three-point range this year … Alexander has made four career three-point shots … Alexander made his 140th career start to move into third place alone on the all-time games played list at Northwest … Alexander is the NCAA Div. II active career leader in games played … Marcus Glock has made at least one three-pointer in 12 consecutive games … Glock has made two or more three-pointers nine times this season … Ja'Vion Byers made his third career start and first since the Northwest home game vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 4 in Bearcat Arena.