Newman (8-2, 0-0 Heartland) at Wichita State (8-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Monday, Dec. 19 || 7 p.m. || Charles Koch Arena (10,506) || Wichita, Kan.
Tickets ||Live Audio || Live Video || Live Stats || Live Blog
Newman Notes || Wichita State Notes
WICHITA- The Newman men's basketball team will travel across town to Charles Koch Arena on Monday, to take on the Shockers of Wichita State. Monday's match-up will be the Jets last game until a Jan. 4 game at Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla. Tip-time is slated for 7:05 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live in Wichita on KGSO 1410 AM, with Jimmy Chavez and Bernie Pearson calling the action.
Jets Soaring...
Newman comes into Monday's meeting with Wichita State riding a five-game winning streak. During that streak, the Jets have averaged 74.4 points per game, while shooting 42.2 percent from the field. On the season, Newman is averaging 71.3 points per game, and shooting 40 percent from the field.
Eric Saunders continues to lead the Jets offensive attack, averaging 12 points per game. Saunders is joined in double-figures by Chuck Coley, and his 10 point-per-game average. Coley has used his length on the glass, leading Newman with 6.7 rebounds per game. Saunders continues to excel distributing the ball, averaging 3.9 assists per contest.
On the road, the Jets hold a record of 3-2, averaging 74.2 points per game, while holding opponents to 69.8 points per contest.
Last Time Out...
The Jets played a hard-fought, physical game, and held on for a 79-70 victory over NAIA foe, Southwestern. Josh Pleasant paced the Newman attack, scoring a career-high 15 points. Pleasant was joined in double-figures by Darrell Traylor and Bobby Wesley, who added 13 and 12 points respectively. Ryan Mesh filled up the stat sheet, tying a career high with eight points. Mesh also set career marks in rebounds (9) and blocks (5).
Newman shot 38.2 percent from the field (26-68), and only connected on 28 percent (7-25) from beyond the arc. The Jets held the Moundbuilders' leading scorer, Ethan Randolph to only seven points, while forcing 24 turnovers on the night.
Scouting Wichita State...
Wichita State enters Monday's match-up with a non-conference record of 8-2, winners of six-straight games. The Shockers' contest against the Jets marks the end of their non-conference stretch, with Missouri Valley play starting on Dec. 28 at Bradley. Wichita State is coming off of a 91-51 mauling of Chicago State on Dec. 15. Senior guard Ben Smith led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, as the Shockers ran away from the Cougars. Smith was joined in double-figures by Joe Ragland and David Kyles, contributing 12 and 10 points respectively.
Toure' Murry has paced Wichita State offensively thus far in the season, leading the Shockers with a 12.7 point-per-game average. Murry is joined in double-figures by four other Shockers. Ragland is Wichita State's second-leading-scorer, averaging 12.5 points per game. Kyles, Ben Smith, and Garrett Stutz round out the double-figure monster, averaging 10.7, 10.4, and 10.2 points per game. Murry and Ragland share the team-lead in assists, averaging 3.4 helpers per contest. Stutz has been steady on the glass, leading the Shockers with a 6.6 rebound-per-game average.
The Shockers are averaging 77.2 points per game, outscoring their opponents by an average of 14.6 points per contest. Wichita State is shooting 45.9 percent from the field, while knocking down 35.8 percent of its three-point attempts. The Shockers have owned the boards thus far in the season, out-rebounding their opposition by an average of 8.2 rebounds per game. Wichita State has proven to slay opponents in the first-half of games, out-scoring opponents in the period, 370-272.
Stepping Up...
Monday's contest marks the first time that Newman has faced Wichita State in the regular-season. In a short series comprised solely of exhibition games, the Jets have lost twice to the Shockers, falling, 81-69 on Nov. 7, 2009, and 80-62 on Nov. 10, 2010.
--www.newmanjets.com--
