HAYS, Kan. — Hanging with another MIAA opponent on the road for much of the first half, the Newman men's basketball team succumbed to a second-half surge by Fort Hays State, falling 90-63 Monday evening in nonconference action.

KEY SEQUENCE

While the Jets (5-6) led just once, they kept things close in the early going against the Tigers (9-3), trailing by just six with under three minutes to go in the first half. The hosts responded with a 15-2 run that covered three and a half minutes spanning the halftime break to push its lead into double digits and start putting the game away.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The Tigers scored 11 of the game's first 13 points, picking up a 10-point lead less than five minutes in. Newman did not back down though, as it turned a 13-point deficit into a 20-19 game thanks to a 12-0 run that featured a three-point play from Ben Ayre and 3-pointers out of Damian Akao and Andre Sands.

-After a pair of free throws made it a three-point lead for Fort Hays, Sands added a stickback and Dametrius Walker followed with a 3-pointer to give the Jets a 24-22 lead at the 7:49 mark of the first half. The Tigers would jump back in front with a 13-3 run, and a Sands dunk with 2:45 left cut it to a six-point game before the hosts went on their run.

-Things evened back out late in the game, with Sands putting up eight points after the break, Tim Troussel adding six and nine total Jets getting in on the action.

NOTES

-Sands put up a team-high 18 points, matching his career high on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting.

-Ayre and Troussel each went for eight points, with Ayre adding two rebounds, two assists and a block.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Jets head into the Christmas break, resuming action Dec. 30 against Rockhurst back at Fugate Gymnasium.