WICHITA, Kan. — Back on a winning streak after suffering its first loss of the season, the Newman men's basketball team hosts Manhattan Christian in a nonconference matchup Wednesday evening at Fugate Gymnasium.
The Jets (4-1) earned their fourth victory in five tries to start the season with a 92-64 victory over Rockhurst Saturday at home. MCC (4-4) has faced Newman each of the past 11 seasons, falling each time by double digits.
Newman boasts five players who are averaging double figures in scoring in the early part of the season, helping the Jets to 87.2 points per game as a team, the 43rd-best number in Division II. Helping the team along the way is leading scorer James Pegues, who is putting up 17.8 ppg to go with 4.4 rebounds. The senior has hit 28-of-38 shots from the floor for a 73.7 percent field goal percentage, the sixth-best number in the nation.
Senior Jalen Love puts up 15.4 ppg, hitting 3-pointers at a 44.0-percent clip, and adds 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Junior Jarvis Williams is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep to put up 13.2 ppg, while also dishing out 2.8 assists, with senior Cortrael Colbert leading the team with 3.6 apg and adding another scoring threat at 12.0 ppg. Senior Gavin Thurman rounds out the starters, putting up 10.4 ppg and leading the team with 4.6 rpg.
Juniors Taylor Schieber, Daniel Nwosu and Andrew Berry, as well as sophomore Kevin Bryant, each average at least 12 minutes per game. Schieber put up 11 points against Rockhurst, hitting 3-of-3 from deep to bump his season mark to 56.3 from 3-point range, while Nwosu netted 15 in the same game.
The Thunder are on a two-game winning streak to get back to .500 on the season. They are led by Will Chisam's 16.8 ppg, while Mike White puts up 12.3 ppg and leads the way with 7.0 rpg. Nick Babalola also averages double figures with 10.9 ppg, and also pulls in 5.0 rpg. Dalton Miller is fourth on the team with 9.3 ppg, but dishes out 3.5 apg and has posted 10 steals in eight games.
Wednesday's game can be heard live on 1410 AM (KGSO) in Wichita, with live video and statistics available at www.newmanjets.com.
