DENTON, Texas — A huge run in the second half turned what was a tight game into an impressive victory for the Newman women's basketball team, as it charged to a 67-52 victory over Midwestern State on the final day of the Best Western Premier Pioneer Classic, hosted by Texas Woman's Sunday afternoon.

KEY SEQUENCE

The Jets (3-2) were locked into a tight one with the Mustangs (2-2), with the lead rarely getting past two points for either side in the first half. That all changed when Newman went on a 19-4 run to turn a slight lead into a 20-point advantage with 6:58 to go in the game. Bria DeGrate netted seven points over that span, with Hannah Alexander and Jazzmen Ortiz each adding five.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-For the second straight day, the Jets opened up with a quick 4-0 lead, this time on layups from Alexander and Mali Wright, just to see the opponent respond to take a 5-4 lead. Another basket from Wright put Newman back in front, but their lead remained one possession for the next five minutes.

-The Mustangs tied it once, but the Jets went back ahead on a Cierra Tjaden jumper. Another tie started a five-point swing from MSU that put it in front for the second time. The lead changed hands another couple times, with the Jets going up by four thanks to a 5-0 run that made it 19-15 just over two minutes into the second quarter.

-A steal and a layup by MSU gave them the lead midway through the period, but it didn't last long, as Natalia Hausmann netted a pair of free throws to give the Jets the lead back. A lay-in from Hausmann inside the final minute of the half pushed that advantage out to 28-24.

-After seeing the game tied up early, a pair of free throws out of DeGrate gave the Jets the lead for good just 50 seconds into the second half. That lead ballooned to seven at 37-30 after back-to-back buckets by Wright, with that stretch starting the impressive run that built Newman's impressive lead.

-While the lead didn't stay at 20 the rest of the way, the Mustangs only got as close as 13, as Newman sank 8-of-11 free throws down the stretch.

LEADERS

Newman
Points: DeGrate 16. Rebounds: Hausmann 10. Assists: 3 with 2. Steals: Sheanna James, Hausmann 3. Blocks: Hausmann 2.

Midwestern State
Points: Whitney Taylor 16. Rebounds: Mecheline Mercelita 10. Assists: 2 with 2. Steals: Jasmine Richardson 3. Blocks: Newman 1.

NOTES

-The Jets have now won three straight games to go over .500 for the first time this season. All three of those wins came by at least 11 points, and dating back to last season, they've won five of their past eight games by that margin or more.

-The wild first half featured eight lead changes and five ties, but there was just one tie score, for a total of 50 seconds, in the second half.

-Four Jets reached double figures in scoring, with Alexander and Hausmann each going for 14, and Wright adding 10. Hausmann netted her first double-double of the season with 10 boards, and added game-highs with three steals and two blocks.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Jets head north for a three-game tournament hosted by Alaska-Fairbanks, facing the host Nanooks on Thanksgiving day.