WICHITA, Kan. — Overcoming a slow start, the Newman men's basketball team sprinted back into the game to hold on for an 82-76 victory over Manhattan Christian in its home opener Friday night at Fugate Gymnasium.
KEY SEQUENCE
The Jets (1-3) didn't start strong, going down 14-0 in the first four minutes to the Thunder (2-4), but they bounced back with the most important run of the game, rattling off 24 of the next 33 points while shooting 8-of-15 and forcing 12 turnovers out of the guests to go up 24-23. That was on a Jacob Birnbaum layup at the 6:29 mark, and Newman led the rest of the way.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Thunder made six of their first 10 shots from the field to shoot out to a 14-0 advantage. A Daniel Nwosu 3-pointer cut that run off, and the Jets followed with a 9-0 run that featured five more points from Nwosu to make it a one-possession game.
-Another five-point spurt capped by a Christian DeYoung lay-in tied things up at 19-19 at the 8:09 mark, and the hosts took their first lead of the game when DeYoung buried a trey on the next possession. MCC answered once, but Birnbaum's basket came less than a minute later.
-A five-point run helped the Jets hold a 38-33 advantage at the break, and two more 5-0 bursts in the first five minutes of the second period pushed it to an 11-point margin at 50-39. A layup by Nwosu and a Malik Abdur-Rahim free throw each pushed the lead to a game-high 13 points for Newman, the latter coming with 10:56 left to play.
-The Thunder would slide back into it, but only make it a one-possession game on two occasions. The first was answered by Kevin Bryant's layup off a Birmbaum feed, and the second by a pair of free throws from Pierre Hayden. MCC made it a four-point game with under a minute to go, but Allen Wilson, then Nwosu, both sank crucial free throws to hold the lead.
LEADERS
Newman
Points: Abdur-Rahim 18. Rebounds: Bryant 18. Assists: Abdur-Rahim, Wilson 3. Steals: Bryant 3. Blocks: DeYoung, Birnbaum 1.
Manhattan Christian
Points: Mike White 15. Rebounds: White 17. Assists: White 4. Steals: Sterling Turner, Chance Houston 2. Blocks: White, Matt McElroy 2.
NOTES
-Bryant set a new program record for rebounds in the NCAA era, gathering in 18 boards in an impressive effort. That tops Reggie Baker's old mark of 17, set on Jan. 19, 2015 against Dallas Baptist, and is tied for the fourth-best mark in all of Division II this season.
-Bryant added 11 points, three steals and two assists to his record-setting night, going a clutch 5-for-7 at the line down the stretch.
-Nwosu put up 17 points, including 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. The Jets sank 27-of-35 from the line for the game.
WHAT'S NEXT
Newman stays at home, facing in-state foe Fort Hays State Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
