Box Score GOODWELL, Okla. – The Newman men's basketball team defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State, 100-96, on Saturday (Feb. 15). The Jets improved to 9-14 and 6-9 in the Heartland Conference.
 
Trailing by 11, 69-58, with 15:24 remaining in the second half, NU went on a 16-2 run to go up 74-71 at the 10:52 mark. Landers Riddle started the run with a dunk and then hit two free throws. After a Richard Waldron basket, Riddle hit back-to-back layups for a 71-68 score. Jeremy Espinoza scored the last six points of the run. He made a layup and was fouled, hitting the free throw to tie the game at 71-71 with 11:30 left. An Espinoza 3-pointer at 10:52 put the Jets in front, 74-71.
 
Down 89-87, Riddle made a layup and was fouled, making a free throw at 3:04 to put the Jets up 90-89. Riddle hit another layup on the next NU possession for a 92-89 advantage. After two OPSU free throws, Marquis Cuyler made a jumper at the 1:49 mark for a 94-91 score.
 
Two more Aggie free throws cut the NU lead to one at 94-93 with 30 seconds left. Perryonte Smith hit two critical free throws with 21 seconds left to increase the lead back to three at 96-93.
 
OPSU split two free throws with 16 seconds to go, and Trae Beck put NU up two possession with two made free throws with 15 seconds left for a 98-94 score.
 
OPSU's Zilijan Jones pulled the Aggies to within two, 98-96, with 9 seconds remaining. Ryan McCarthy split two free throws for the Jets with 9 seconds to go for a 99-96 score.
 
With a chance to tie, OPSU's Krys Randolph missed a 3-pointer for 4 seconds remaining, and Riddle rebounded the miss for NU. Riddle put the game away with a free throw with 2 seconds left for a 100-96 score.
 
Four Jets scored in double figures led by Cuyler with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He went 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Espinoza nearly totaled a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds. Riddle added 14 points, and Elhad Emerllahu scored 10 points.
 
NU shot 52.5 percent (32-61) from the field, including 59.3 percent (16-27) in the first half. In a game with 53 fouls, the Jets went 26-of-36 from the field. The Aggies shot 45 free throws, going 34-45 from the line.
 
The Jets return to action on Thursday (Feb. 20) at Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, Ark.