Men's Basketball | 2/27/2015 9:54:00 PM
AUSTIN, Texas – The Newman men's basketball looks to secure a Heartland Conference Tournament spot on Saturday (Feb. 28) when the Jets take on St. Edward's at 3 p.m. With a win, NU would be in the Heartland Conference Tournament in San Antonio, Texas next weekend.
The Jets have won three straight games to move to 11-8 in the Heartland Conference. NU is currently tied for the fourth seed with Texas-Permian Basin, but the Jets hold the tiebreaker. NU could also clinch a spot if the Falcons fall to Oklahoma Christian on Saturday.
In their most recent game, the Jets defeated UTPB in overtime, 98-94, on Thursday in Odessa, Texas.
Ryan McCarthy and
Reggie Baker tied for a game-high 24 points. For the season, Baker leads the team in scoring at 20.7 points per game. Senior forward
Jeremy Espinoza adds 15.3 points per game. Baker and Espinoza both average 6.0 rebounds per game, which is a team high.
Cortrael Colbert totals 13.2 points and 5.4 assists per game. He leads the conference in assists.
The Hilltoppers are 20-7 and 12-7 in the Heartland Conference. They are one game up on NU in the standings. SEU is on a two-game winning streak with wins against Oklahoma Panhandle State and Oklahoma Christian. They have won three-straight home games, and the Hilltoppers are 15-2 at home. Ramir Burton averages a team-high 13.2 points per game. Frankie Mgbolu adds 12.1 points, and John Gramlich scores 11.9 points per game.
In the first meeting between the two teams, NU built a 17-point first half advantage, but the Jets couldn't hold on, falling 71-62 to SEU on Dec. 18, 2014 at Fugate Gymnasium.
