About the Jets...
The Jets will look for their seventh-consecutive victory on Thursday when they travel to Goodwell, Okla. to take on Oklahoma Panhandle State. Newman has won a school-record six-straight Heartland Conference games to open up its conference slate. The Jets feature a diverse offensive attack, featuring eight players averaging 5+ points per game. Junior Shamar Acuay has stepped up his game since making his debut at Wichita State on Dec. 19, bolstering four double-figure games in his first six Heartland Conference contests. Newman owns a 5-4 record away from Fugate Gymnasium on the season, winning its last two games on the road.
Scouting OPSU...
The Aggies come into Thursday's game with an overall record of 3-14, and an 0-5 mark in Heartland Conference play. OPSU is coming off of a 67-56 defeat at the hands of Texas-Permian Basin on Jan. 21. The Aggies feature three-players averaging in double-figures. D'Ron Walker (14.1 ppg), Bill Lee (13.4 ppg), and Kevin Geofroy (11.8 ppg) are shooting a combined 43.8 percent from the field. Since making his season-debut on Dec. 16 against Central Christian, Bill Lee has led OPSU in scoring in three of his first eight games.
Head to Head...
|
|
Newman Jets |
OPSU Aggies |
|
Points Per Game: |
71.5 |
69.4 |
|
Scoring Margin: |
+2.7 |
-13.9 |
|
Field-Goal Percentage: |
41.2% |
41.0% |
|
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: |
31.1% |
31.5% |
|
Free-Throw Percentage: |
65.0% |
74.5% |
|
Rebounds Per Game: |
36.6 |
29.0 |
|
Rebound Margin: |
-2.7 |
-9.1 |
|
Assists Per Game: |
12.4 |
11.2 |
|
Turnovers Per Game: |
14.8 |
16.2 |
|
Turnover Margin: |
-3.5 |
+0.0 |
|
Steals Per Game: |
9.6 |
7.8 |
|
Blocks Per Game: |
4.6 |
1.0 |
The Series...
All-Time Record: Newman (7-4)
First Meeting: 1974-75, Oklahoma Panhandle State 67, Newman 65 (Goodwell, Okla.)
Last Season: Jan. 29, 2011, Oklahoma Panhandle State 92, Newman 89 (Wichita, Kan.)
Feb. 24, 2011, Newman 100, Oklahoma Panhandle State 69 (Goodwell, Okla.)
In Goodwell, Okla.: Newman (4-3)
Last Time Out...
Newman secured its sixth-straight victory, and ninth-straight at home, defeating Dallas Baptist 85-69 on Monday. The Jets set the tone early, scoring early and often, while holding the Patriots off the scoreboard until a Nick Fox lay-up gave DBU its first points of the game at the 14:34 mark. Fox went on to score 13-straight points for the Patriots, giving them a 15-14 edge. A Chuck Coley three-pointer sparked a 9-2 run, giving the Jets a 24-16 lead with 7:20 to play in the half. DBU trimmed the Newman lead to five, three minutes later, but a Josh Pleasant free-throw led the Jets on another 9-2 run, giving Newman a 37-25 advantage with 2:29 to play.The Jets held a double-digit lead the rest of the half, going into the locker room with a 39-27 lead.
The Patriots opened up the second-half on a 6-0 run, over the first 90 seconds of the period, but an Eric Saunders' three sparked a four-point spurt, giving the Jets a double-digit lead with 18:03 to play. DBU would try to wittle the lead back down, but over the next seven minutes, Newman built a 16-point, 57-41 lead following a Darrell Traylor lay-up with 11:32 left to play. The Patriots struck again over the next three minutes, trimming the lead to seven, before a Shamar Acuay jumper paced a 9-4 run to put away DBU. The Jets would go on to score the final seven points of the game, en route to the 85-69 victory.
Shamar Acuay scored a career-high 25 points off of the bench, while Mason Felter capped a career-high six blocks. Acuay was joined in double-figures by Eric Saunders and Darrell Traylor, chipping in 12 and 11 points respectively. As a team, the Jets shot 50 percent (28-56) from the field, connecting on 43.8 percent (7-16) of their three-point attempts. Newman swatted a season-high 11 shots, forcing 18 DBU turnovers. The Jets bench out-scored the Patriots' bench 45-9.
Player to Watch...
Mason Felter- The senior from Wichita, Kan. has been a staple for the Jets. The Wichita State transfer set a career-high, notching six blocks in Monday's victory over Dallas Baptist. Felter has scored 7+ points in 10 of Newman's 18 games this season.
Thursday's Games in the Heartland Conference...
-Newman (14-4, 6-0) at Oklahoma Panhandle State (3-14, 0-5 ) -- 5:30 p.m. -- Goodwell, Okla. -- Live Stats
-A&M-International (14-4, 4-1) at St. Mary's (12-5, 5-1) -- 5:30 p.m. -- San Antonio, Texas -- Live Stats |
