WICHITA, Kan. — Brianna Caldwell, Natalia Hausmann and Bria DeGrate all scored in double figures for the Newman women's basketball team, helping the Jets play with Arkansas-Fort Smith for much of the game before the Lions pulled away late for an 84-68 win in Heartland Conference play Saturday afternoon at Fugate Gymnasium.
KEY SEQUENCE
After Lizzy Harrison sank a basket to put the Jets (9-8, 3-6 Heartland) back in front halfway through the final quarter, the Lions (12-6, 5-4 Heartland) got a layup and a 3-pointer to shoot back in front, which started an 11-2 run that pushed the UAFS lead into double figures.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-A slow start by both sides saw the Lions creep out to a 7-0 lead as the first five minutes of the game ran off the clock. A 3-pointer from Hausmann got the Jets on the board at the 4:19 mark, and Shaunice Robinson hit a pair of free throws to make it 9-5 with 3:52 to go in the opening quarter.
-Hausmann hit another 3 and followed on the next possession with a jumper off a feed from Caldwell, and Harrison added a bucket the next time down the floor to cap the 7-0 run that pulled the hosts to within two at 14-12.
-A Caldwell lay-in and two free throws out of Robinson before the break started a 9-2 run spanning the two quarters, with Caldwell adding another jumper and DeGrate following with a 3-pointer to give the Jets their first lead of the game at 21-20 with 7:24 remaining in the first half.
-A layup from DeGrate tied things at 23-all 20 seconds later, as did a basket out of Robinson to make it 25-25 as the team's reached the midway point of the second quarter. Harrison made two freebies to draw even at 27-27, but UAFS took off on an 8-1 before Caldwell popped a 3-pointer to end the half with the Lions leading 35-31.
-Two free throws to start the second half moved the lead to six for the Lions, but the Jets sprung for six straight to start a run that saw the hosts go 5-of-6 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line to start the third quarter. Buckets from Melanie George and Erica Olerich pulled the Jets to within two at 37-35 and DeGrate tied things up with free throws.
-Back-to-back steals and layups from Hausmann and DeGrate gave Newman the lead and bumped the lead to 43-40 at the 7:21 mark, and an Olerich jumper two minutes later made it 47-43. The lead grew to four once again as George hit two free throws at the 4:17 mark.
-The two teams went back-and-forth throughout the quarter, with a layup from Hausmann on an inbounds play in the final seconds handed the Jets a 56-54 lead heading to the final quarter.
-Caldwell hit a pair of free throws midway through the fourth quarter to put the Jets back in front 60-59, and a layup from Harrison with 4:59 left made it 62-61 in favor of the hosts, but UAFS was able to take the lead back a minute later and hold on down the stretch.
NOTES
-Caldwell led the Jets with 16 points, hitting 7-of-8 from the line and adding four rebounds and two assists. It was the most points scored in a game by the junior since also netting 16 against Washburn Nov. 18.
-Hausmann hit 5-of-10 shots to set a new season high with 14 points. It's the second time in three games the junior scored in double figures after going for 11 last week against Oklahoma Christian.
-Olerich scored all seven of her points in the second half and put up team highs with 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks while adding a pair of steals. It's the junior's third game with 10-plus boards, and the seventh time in her last eight games that she's pulled down at least six.
-DeGrate, a freshman, earned her fourth straight start and posted a career-high 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting while adding four rebounds and a season-high three steals. Robinson posted eight points while sharing the team lead with four assists.
-The Lions hit 13-of-16 free throws in the final 70 seconds of the game to pull away, starting that stretch up by seven and ending it with the final 16-point margin.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets start the second half of the conference season with a road trip to take on Texas A&M International Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
