HAYS, Kan. — It took five extra minutes for the first nonconference opponent to clip the Newman women's basketball team in over a year, as Nebraska-Kearney earned a close 79-74 victory Friday evening on the first day of a tournament at Fort Hays State.

KEY SEQUENCE

A 3-pointer from Hannah Alexander tied things up 65-65 a minute into overtime for the Jets (4-1), but the Lopers (3-0) responded with an eight-point run to build a lead over the next 90 seconds. Newman was able to get it back down to one point in the final seconds, but UNK converted a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play, and it held on to escape with the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-Newman continued its run of good starts it's posted this season. Jazzmen Ortiz nailed a 3-pointer to give the Jets a 3-1 lead, the first of 10 lead changes, to go with eight ties, in the game. The Lopers went up 7-5 with 2:34 to go in the first quarter, but Newman answered with an 8-2 run to close the quarter, getting a bucket from Dede Johnson to tie it, and five straight points from Bria DeGrate to close the period.

-DeGrate made it a personal 8-0 run with a trey early in the second, and an Ortiz basket made it a nine-point game at the 7:47 mark. UNK got it as close as three during the quarter, but Abbey George converted three free throws to push the lead to 11 at 29-18 with 2:27 on the clock, and the lead ballooned to 13 with a Johnson 3-pointer.

-George nailed a triple early in the third, making it 40-26. A 5-0 run from the Lopers cut it to single digits, but Erica Olerich sank a 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the stanza to make it 43-31. Mel George closed the third with a strong run, with her free throws at 1:53 and basket with 44 seconds on the clock both pushing it to an 11-point lead.

-Haley Albers extended the lead to 13 at 51-38 at the 7:16 mark of the fourth quarter, but the Lopers found a groove and were able to go on a 16-0 run over three-plus minutes to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter. DeGrate's steal and basket put Newman up by one with 1:41 to play, and Olerich's 3-pointer made it 60-58 with 44 seconds left, but UNK managed to get the tying bucket to send it to overtime.

NOTES

-DeGrate matched her career high with 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The junior also equaled a career-high by picking up five steals, the fourth time she's hit that number.

-The Jets saw their 14-game nonconference winning streak come to an end with the loss, but have still won 20 of their past 25 nonconference games over the past three seasons.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Jets conclude their stay in Western Kansas with a matchup against host Fort Hays State Saturday afternoon.