CLAREMORE, Okla. – No. 13 RSU men's soccer is headed to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, while Hillcat basketball opens conference play on the road against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State in this week's edition of the Hillcat Preview.
 
 All RSU students, faculty and staff are eligible for free admission to all home sporting events. Faculty and staff can also bring one complementary guest. For questions, contact cking@rsu.edu.
 
BACK TO HAYS FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS
No. 13 and second-seed Hillcat men's soccer will continue its historic run in the NCAA Tournament as it faces a familiar foe, No. 4 and top-seeded Fort Hays State, in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Kickoff from FHSU Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
This marks the fourth meeting between the two programs this season and the 21st all-time meeting. Hays has won all three matchups this season, with the last two decided by a single goal, including a 2-1 final in the GAC/MIAA Tournament Championship game on Nov. 15. The Hillcats are 2-3-3 against the Tigers when playing in Kansas.
 
RSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over No. 15 Lincoln Blue Tigers last Sunday. Sophomore Ashton Medina netted his second consecutive game-winning goal of the tournament, with assists from Lawson Ford and Artur Carvalho in the 82nd minute. Junior goalkeeper Jaxon Kendall recorded his school record 12th shutout of the season, making four saves in the process.
 
The Hillcats, led by first-year head coach and former RSU All-American Jake Simpson, head into their matchup with a 14-3-5 record. This marks the furthest the program has advanced in the national tournament. It is important to acknowledge the foundation laid by RSU Hall of Famer Derek Larkin, as the Hillcats reached and won their first-ever tournament game in the 2024 season. Larkin tallied a 175-109-46 record in 18 years at the helm.
 
Fort Hays State, which remains undefeated at 19-0-3, has progressed through the NCAA Tournament with victories over ninth-seeded UIndy (3-0) and fourth-seeded No. 10 Rockhurst (2-0). The Tigers won both the GAC/MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
 
The winner of Saturday's contest will advance to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals on Friday, Dec. 12, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The NCAA Championship will follow on the subsequent Sunday. For more information, visit 2025 DII men's soccer championship: Bracket, schedule, scores | NCAA.com.
 
BRING ON THE LIONS AND GORILLAS
Rogers State men's basketball (4-2) will open the MIAA portion of its schedule against Missouri Southern (4-2) and Pittsburg State (4-1).
 
The matchup against Missouri Southern is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off Thursday at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin, Missouri. The conference-opening weekend will conclude on Saturday with a game against Pittsburg State at 3:30 p.m. inside the Garfield Weede Building in Pittsburg, Kansas.
 
The Hillcats are coming off a 1-1 week at the SNU Conference Challenge in Bethany, Oklahoma. They opened the invite with a dominant 83-65 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State, extending their win streak to four games. However, in a contest featuring 14 ties and 25 lead changes, RSU narrowly lost to No. 7 Southern Nazarene, 67-65.
 
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST SOUTHERN AND NO. 2 PITT
Rogers State women's basketball (2-5) will look to open conference play strongly against Missouri Southern (5-3) and No. 2 Pittsburg State (4-1) this week.
 
The game against the Lions is set for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off Thursday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin, Missouri. The weekend will wrap up with a matchup against the second-ranked Gorillas at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Garfield Weede Building in Pittsburg, Kansas.
 
The Hillcats finished the week with a 1-2 record, starting with a decisive 68-48 victory over the Regis Rangers in Denver. They followed up with a closely contested 79-73 loss to Colorado Mines in Golden and concluded with a 75-59 defeat against Henderson State at the Claremore Expo Center.