Box Score Joplin, Mo. – The Newman women's basketball team lost its second straight road game Thursday night, dropping a 72-58 decision to the Lions of Missouri Southern State University.  Senior Kianna Flannagan led all scorers with 21 points in the loss.
 
The Jets scored the first points of the game off a three pointer from Chenigwa Banks, but the Lions quickly answered back with a pair of layups from Shonte Clay and Tee Singleton.  A two-point basket from Sumayyah Muhammad gave the Jets a 9-8 lead at the 14:48 mark, and set off a 12-0 run for Newman, who seemed to be pulling ahead in the game.  However, the Lions would not be tamed so easily, and battled back with a pair of 6-0 scoreless runs to cut the Jets' lead to 25-22 with 1:17 to play in the half.  Johnna tenBerge drained a three from behind the arc to even the score, and the teams went into halftime locked at a 27-27 tie.
 
Missouri Southern jumped ahead early in the second half, scoring five quick points to put the score at 32-27, and give them a lead they would never relinquish.  A layup from Sheba Goode at the 15:29 mark cut the score 36-33, but the Lions answered right back with three pointers from tenBerge and Jolee Sharp, who led the team with 17 points on the night.  Newman kept the game close, trailing by only five points with 5:04 on the clock, until the Lions scored nine unanswered points, chewing three minutes off the clock in the process.  This put the game out of reach for the Jets, who couldn't seem to find the scoring rhythm they needed to overcome the Lions' early second half lead. 
 
The Jets had two players notch double digits on the night.  Flannagan led all scorers with 21 points and six rebounds, and freshman Alexandra Ciabattoni, who scored 16 points and added six boards herself. 
 
As a team, the Jets shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the floor and 72.7 percent (16-22) from the free throw line.  The Lions outrebounded the Jets 36-31. 
 
With the loss, Newman falls to 1-2 on the season (0-0 Heartland).  The Jets return to action Tuesday Nov. 20, when they travel to Fort Hays State to take on the Tigers.  Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.