Box Score WICHITA – Trailing by one point at the 4:07 mark, the visiting Lions of Arkansas-Fort Smith hit some critical 3-pointers to pull away from the No. 21-ranked Newman Jets, 88-78, on Saturday (Feb. 23) at Fugate Gymnasium. The Jets dropped to 19-5 (9-4 Heartland Conference), while the Lions improved to 15-9 and clinched a share of the Heartland Conference title with a 10-3 record.
 
With the score 69-68 with 4:07 left after a Shamar Acuay layup, the Lions' Jake Toupel got hot from behind the arc, hitting three 3-pointers in the last 3:51, including a four-point play. He put UAFS up four, 72-68, with his first triple at the 3:51 mark. The Jets trailed by three, 74-71, after a Marquis Cuyler layup at the 2:43 mark. On the Lions' next possession Toupal hit another 3 and was fouled, converting the four-point play for the 78-71 advantage with 2:30 remaining. Toupal wasn't done knocking down a 3 from 30 feet to put UAFS up 81-71 with 1:52 left.
 
The Jets couldn't close the gap at the end, and the Lions made enough free throws to defeat the Jets 88-78.
 
Newman battled back from a first half deficit as the Jets were down as many as 14 points in the first half. Down 30-16 at the 7:14 mark of the first half, NU went on a 17-8 run to close to 38-33 on a Darrell Traylor 3 with 43 seconds left in the half. A quick Lion basket put the score 40-33 at halftime.
 
After five straight Lion points to start the half, the Jets made another run, tying the game at 47-47 at the 15:02 mark after a 14-2 spurt. Josh Pleasant tied the game with one free throw. The Jets took their second lead of the second half on a Bobby Wesley triple, making it 58-56 Jets with 10:45 remaining. The score stayed close until the final Lions' run.
 
Cuyler led the Jets with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, and he was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Also in double figures were Acuay (12), Wesley (11) and Frankie Drayton (11). Drayton pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. The Jets shot 44.4 percent 28-63) from the field.
 
Toupal scored a game-high 18 points and was 5-of-8 from 3-point range. As a team, the Lions went 29-of-57 (50.9 percent) from the field.
 
The Jets take to the road for their final two regular season contests next weekend. Newman travels to St. Edward's and McMurray during their final regular season stretch.