About the Jets...
The Jets will look for their fifth-straight victory on Saturday when they travel to St. Edwards to take on the Hilltoppers. Newman is off to a record-setting start in Heartland Conference play after winning its first four conference games. Since beginning conference action, junior Shamar Acuay (12.5 ppg) has exploded on the offensive scene for the Jets, averaging 15 points since Heartland Conference play began on Jan. 7. Senior Eric Saunders (12.1 ppg) remains a threat for Newman, having started every game this year for the Jets. Newman is 4-4 in true road games on the season, while maintaining a perfect record (8-0) at Fugate Gymnasium. St. Edward's owns a 7-4 record inside the SEU Recreation and Convention Center.
Scouting St. Edward's
The Hilltoppers roll into Saturday's match-up with an overall record of 9-8, and a 1-4 mark in Heartland Conference play. St. Edward's picked up its first conference victory on Thursday, dismantiling Oklahoma Panhandle State, 98-68. The Hilltopper offense typically runs through Shimeek Johnson (18.1 ppg). The junior from Albany, N.Y., notched a season-high 39 points in a 104-76 thumping of St. Thomas (Texas) on Nov. 14, 2011. Johnson is joined in double-figures by the rest of the St. Ed's starting five. Khaliq Gross (17.2 ppg), Zilijan Jones (11.5 ppg), Remy Boswell (10.1 ppg), and Matt Miner (10.0 ppg) have all been constant factors on the Hilltopper offensive front.
Head to Head...
|
|
Newman Jets |
St. Edward's Hilltoppers |
|
Points Per Game: |
69.5 |
84.6 |
|
Scoring Margin: |
+1.9 |
+4.1 |
|
Field-Goal Percentage: |
40.2% |
45.8% |
|
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: |
30% |
35.6% |
|
Free-Throw Percentage: |
64.2& |
67.8% |
|
Rebounds Per Game: |
35.9 |
37.2 |
|
Rebound Margin: |
-3.9 |
-0.6 |
|
Assists Per Game: |
12.4 |
15.4 |
|
Turnovers Per Game: |
14.2 |
13.4 |
|
Turnover Margin: |
-4.1 |
+0.8 |
|
Steals Per Game: |
9.6 |
7.2 |
|
Blocks Per Game: |
4.2 |
3.6 |
The Series...
All-Time Record: Newman (6-3)
First Ever Meeting: Dec. 6, 2006 (Bolivar, Mo.), St. Edward's 86, Newman 74
Last Season: Jan. 22, 2011 (Wichita, Kan.), Newman 89, St. Edward's 62
Feb. 17, 2011 (Austin, Texas), St. Edward's 74, Newman 72
In Austin, Texas: St. Edward's (4-0)
Last Time Out...
Newman remained perfect in Heartland Conference play, defeating Texas-Permian Basin, 68-61, in its first conference road game on Thursday. Both squads started Thursday's contest slowly, as Newman held a 6-4 edge, going into the first media timeout. Head Coach Mark Potter inserted Shamar Acuay into action, sparking a 6-0 run, following an Acuay three-pointer at the 13:40 mark. An Eric Saunders' lay-up extended the Jets lead to 23-13 with 8:34 to play. UTPB responded with a 9-2 spurt over the next three minutes to pull within three, 25-22, with five minutes remaining, but a Connor Walker trey ended the Falcon threat. Newman ended the first half on a 7-2 run, increasing its lead to 38-28 going into intermission.
The Jets appeared to take control of the game, extending their lead to 11, just three minutes into the second half, but a Brandon Harrison lay-up sparked a 15-0 run for UTPB, keeping Newman off of the board for better than seven minutes. The Falcons held a 46-42 lead, until Acuay converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 9:50 remaining, trimming the lead to one point, 46-45. UTPB increased its lead to 52-47, following a pair of Ke'Andre Derrick free-throws with 8:26 remaining, but three-straight Jet steals ignited an 8-0 run, helping Newman take a 55-52 lead with 5:27 remaining, smashing the Falcon's momentum. UTPB cut the Jets' lead down to two, three times over the next three minutes, before tying the ball-game at 61-61 with 2:10 left to play. Newman ended the game on a 7-0 run, soaring to a 68-61 victory.
Shamar Acuay led all scorers with 18 points. Acuay was joined in double-figures by Eric Saunders and Connor Walker, chipping in 12 and 10 points respectively. Chuck Coley notched eight second-half rebounds, en route to a team-high 10 boards. As a team, Newman shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the field, and 63.2 percent (12-19) from the free throw line. The Jets held UTPB to a 37.9 percent (22-58) shooting effort .
Player to Watch...
Connor Walker- Since starting the conference slate slowly, the junior from Edmond, Okla., erupted for 10 points on 2-for-3 shooting beyond the arc, while converting all four of his free-throw attempts in Thursday's 68-61 win over UTPB. Walker is leading Newman in three-point percentage, shooting 42.2 percent (19-45) from three-point land.
Saturday's Games in the Heartland Conference...
-Newman (12-4, 4-0) at St. Edward's (9-8, 1-4 ) -- 12 p.m. -- Austin, Texas -- Live Stats
-Arkansas-Fort Smith (10-8, 3-2) at A&M-International (13-4, 3-1) -- 12 p.m. -- Laredo, Texas -- Live Stats
-Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-13, 0-4) at UTPB (6-11, 0-5) -- 12 p.m. -- Odessa, Texas -- Live Stats |
