WICHITA, Kan. — Taking advantage of a fast start and never taking its foot off the pedal, the Newman men's basketball team picked up its largest win of the year in a 79-51 victory over Oklahoma Christian Saturday afternoon in Heartland Conference action.

KEY SEQUENCE

Seeing their early lead start to trickle away late in the first half, the Jets (9-11, 5-4 Heartland) answered quickly when a 3-pointer by the Eagles (7-12, 3-5 Heartland) cut it to an 11-point game. Dametrius Walker slammed one home and Kevin Bryant added a layup as the hosts closed the final four minutes of the half on a 10-4 run to turn it into a 17-point lead.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-After the Eagles answered an early Newman run with a 3-pointer, Bryant went on a tear, converting a layup, a three-point play, and capping an alley-oop from Ben Ayre with a thunderous slam to net seven straight points. Ayre punctuated a 9-0 run with a lay-in to make it a 13-3 Jet lead just six minutes in.

-Free throws helped OC get back to within seven, but Cameron Goldfinich hit a baseline jumper and a 3-pointer to shoot the lead back up to 12, and the hosts led by double-digits the rest of the way. A Goldfinch 3-pointer between layups from Ayre and Andre Sands pushed the lead out to 17 before a 6-0 run cut the lead to 11 leading into Newman's key run.

-A quick triple form Golfinich to start the second half was followed by an Ayre jumper to make it a 20-point game for the first time at 45-25. Newman rattled off 12 straight points, getting two baskets from Bryant, another from DeAndre Johnson and a 3-pointer by Walker to extend that lead to 60-29.

-The Eagles cut into that lead late with reserves in the game for both sides, netting runs of 6-0 and 7-0 in the final minutes to tighten the final score.

NOTES

-Goldfinch had the game of his young career, finishing with a game-high 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and adding two rebounds, a block and a steal.

-Bryant turned in a monster double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds. It's the senior's fifth double-double of the season, and his fourth in his last eight games.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Jets finish up their busy January with the second meeting of the season against Arkansas-Fort Smith Wednesday evening at Fugate Gymnasium.