Men's Basketball | 12/18/2014 10:41:00 AM
WICHITA – The Newman men's basketball team starts the Heartland Conference schedule with No. 25-ranked and 9-0 St. Edward's on Thursday (Dec. 18) at 7:30 p.m. inside Fugate Gymnasium. The Jets are currently 4-2 on the season and have won back-to-back games.
Reggie Baker, a junior from Avon Park, Fla., was selected as the Heartland Conference Player of the Week after a double-double performance of 30 points and 10 rebounds in an exciting 97-90 double overtime win over William Jewell on Dec. 13. Baker scored seven straight points during a 9-0 run in the second overtime to put the game away. Baker is second in the Heartland Conference in scoring at 23.3 points per game. He also pulls down a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game. All five starters average double figures. Senior
Jeremy Espinoza, who was All-Heartland Conference Honorable Mention as a junior, adds 12.7 points per game.
James Pegues totals 11.3 points, Cortael Colbert tallies 11.2 points and
Ryan McCarthy adds 10.5 points per game. Colbert has a team-high average 6.3 assists per game.
Newman head coach
Mark Potter is 294-182 (.618) in his 17th season as the Jets coach. Potter, who has the highest winning percentage and most wins in NU history, is only six wins away from 300 career victories. All-time NU's men's basketball record is 573-438 (.566).
The Hilltoppers are currently 9-0 and 1-0 in the Heartland Conference. SEU ranked No. 25 in the Dec. 16 NABC Division II top 25 poll. They started conference play on Tuesday (Dec. 16) at Oklahoma Christian, winning 55-54 on a tip-in at the buzzer by Harley Nussman. The Hilltoppers also defeated regionally ranked Colorado Mesa, 74-61, during the opening weekend of the season.
SEU has five players scoring in double digits. John Gramlich is the leading scorer at 13.2 points per game. Ramir Burton has a 12.1 points per game average, and Frankie Mgbolu scores 11.4 points per game. Nussman, who hit the game-winner against OC, averages 10.8 points per game, and Trey Lindsey adds 10.4 points per game. Nussman leads the team in rebounding at 9.1 rebounds per game.
St. Edward's head coach Andre Cook is in his sixth season, totaling a 69-77 record.
After tonight's game, NU continues home conference play on Saturday (Dec. 20) against Texas-Permian Basin at 3 p.m. inside Fugate Gymnasium.
