WICHITA - The Newman men's basketball team looks for its fourth-straight win Monday night when they play host to the Manhattan Christian Crusaders. Tip-time for the contest is slated for 7 p.m. inside Newman's Fugate Gymnasium.
About the Jets...
Newman is 5-4 after the first nine games of the season, and have taken on some of the toughest compeition the South Central region has to offer, including the likes of Lone Star Conference foes Southwestern Oklahoma State (W, 91-78), West Texas A&M (L, 83-68), Angelo State (W, 77-69), and No. 11 Tarleton State (L, 83-54), and MIAA rivals Pittsburg State (L, 95-68) and Fort Hays State (L, 84-71). The Jets have won three-straight games after Monday's 85-77 overtime win over Tabor.
The Jets are led by
Keaton Schultz, a senior guard from Neodesha, Kan., who is averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Will Burdette, a senior transfer forward from the Northeastern Mississippi Junior College, scores 12.2 points and grabs a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game, while
Eric Saunders, who has stepped into the point guard position after the injury to
Bobby Wesley in the opening game of the season, can be counted on for 10.0 points and 4.9 assists per game.
As a team, the Jets average 77.6 points per game, and have shot a .415 collective field goal percentage
Scouting Manhattan Christian...
The Crusaders bring a 4-7 record into Saturday's contest after a 68-24 win over Nebraska Christian Tuesday in Papillion, Neb. The win was the second-straight for an MCC squad, which is composed of 10 freshmen, two sophomores, a junior and a senior. Newman will be the first NCAA Div. II squad that Manhattan Christian has played.
Charles Page has emerged as MCC's leading scorer this season. The 6-3 sophomore is averaging 21.0-points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season, while Kevin Foster, a 6-4 junior, and the only junior on the squad, is next in line with 14.8 points per game
Saturday's game will be counted as an exhibition contest for the Crusaders.
Last Time These Two Met...
Keaton Schultz,
Chip Steven,
Tyler Nordman,
Jake Darby, and
Terrell Northington each drained two treys as the Jets picked up a 77-61 win over Manhattan Christian on Dec. 5, 2009, inside Fugate Gymnasium. Newman shot .443 (27-61) from the field, and .429 (12-28) from three-point range in the win.
The Series....
Newman leads the all-time series with the Crusaders 9-0, and owns a 6-0 record in games played inside Fugate Gymnasium.
