Box Score CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Newman men's basketball team couldn't overcome an off shooting night, falling to Rogers State, 71-64, on Monday (Dec. 3) in the conference opener for both teams. The Jets dropped to 3-4 and 0-1 in the Heartland Conference.
 
The Jets scored the first two field goals of the game and led 4-1 at the 16:06 mark after a Jeremy Espinoza jumper. NU went up by three points against at 6-3 when Landers Riddle made a jump shot in the paint at the 15:15 mark.
 
RSU tied the score at 6-6 with 12:05 remaining in the first half, and then the Hillcats never trailed again for the rest of the game. RSU's largest lead was 13 points at 27-14 with 7:18 left in the half. The Hillcats led 36-27 at halftime.
 
NU started the second half with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to one point at 36-35. Perryonte Smith started the run with a 3-pointer less than a minute into the half, and then made a jumper in the paint at the 18:11 mark. Ryan McCarthy hit a 3-pointer with 17:43 left to make it 36-35. Back-to-back 3s from RSU pushed the advantage to seven points at 44-37, and the Jets couldn't get closer than two points for the rest of the contest.
 
Marquis Cuyler was the only Jet in double figures with 12 points. He totaled a career-high four assists and four rebounds. Espinoza grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
NU shot 35.6 percent (21-59) from the field, including a 30.3 percent (10-33) first half. The Jets went 7-of-28 (25 percent) from 3-point range.
 
The Hillcats went 21-of-50 from the field (42 percent), including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3. Robinson Odoch Opong totaled a game-high 16 points as four of the five RSU starters hit double figures in points.
 
The Jets travel to West Texas A&M on Saturday (Dec. 7) for a 4 p.m. game in Canyon, Texas.