Box Score The No. 21-ranked Newman men's basketball team couldn't hang on to a first half lead, falling on the road to Arkansas-Fort Smith, 93-80. The Lions and Jets came into the match up ranked No. 1 and 2 in the Heartland Conference. With the win, the Lions hang on to the league lead with a 7-0 record, while the Jets still stand in second at 5-2 and are 14-3 overall.
 
The Jets led 44-35 at the halftime break. The host Lions pulled out to a 7-0 lead in the first 2:42 of the game and held the lead for most of the first half, but the Jets responded. Down 26-17 with 6:21 left in the half, NU made a 13-0 run to take a 30-26 lead at the 4:13 mark. Ryan McCarthy made a 3-pointer at the 4:13 mark for a 30-26 score. After a Lions' bucket, the Jets scored five straight, including another McCarthy 3 for a 35-29 Jet advantage with 3:06 left. NU continued to push and took a 44-35 lead into halftime.
 
The second half was all Lions as UAFS scored 58 points and pulled away for the 93-80 win. The Lions outscored the Jets by 22 points in the second half. Newman held a 52-44 advantage at the 15:47 mark on a jumper by Josh Pleasant, but UAFS scored the next eight points to tie the game at 52-52 with 13:10 remaining. A Darrell Traylor 3 put the Jets up 60-59 at the 9:54 mark, but that was the Jets' final lead as the Lions went on a 10-0 run and led 69-60 with 7:45 remaining in the game. The Jets cut the deficit to 71-66 on an Elhad Emerllahu layup, but that was as close as the Jets could get, and the Lions ran away for the 93-80 win.  
 
Five Jets hit double figures in the contest. Sixth man Shamar Acuay led the way with 17 points and six rebounds. Darrell Traylor, Frankie Drayton and Elhad Emerllahu all poured in 12 points, and Trae Beck scored 10. Bobby Wesley dished out a team-high four assists.
 
Jake Toupal of UAFS totaled a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and he was 3-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. Djordje Stojanovic had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Lions shot 60.3 percent (35-58) from the field, including 65.6 percent (21-32) in the second half when the Lions scored 58 points. The Jets shot 41 percent (27-66) from the field in the game.
 
Newman returns home for two-straight games next week. The Jets welcome Oklahoma Christian to Fugate Gymnasium on Thursday (Jan. 31) for a 7:30 p.m. tilt.