WICHITA, Kan. — Getting hot when it needed it most, the Newman women's basketball team turned in a scorching fourth quarter to top Arkansas-Fort Smith 66-59 in Heartland Conference action Wednesday night at Fugate Gymnasium.
KEY SEQUENCE
Down by three at the end of the third quarter, the Jets (15-8, 6-3 Heartland) shot back in front for the first time since the first half with an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Bria DeGrate and Haley Albers made it a five-point lead for the Jets, and a three-point play later from Albers helped make it a 13-2 run that helped sink the Lions (14-8, 7-3 Heartland).
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Jets started the game with a stingy defense, holding the Lions scoreless for the first four and a half minutes and going up 7-0 behind five points from Nia Roberts. UAFS got on the board and sliced it to a three-point Newman lead twice, but an Abbey George bucket capped a 4-0 run to make it 15-8 with less than a minute to play in the first.
-Ending the first and starting the second with 3-pointers, the Lions took their first lead with 7:13 left in the opening half. Hannah Alexander put the hosts back in front with seven of the team's eight points during an 8-0 spurt to make it 24-22 with two minutes left in the quarter, and free throws late in the period sent the teams to the break with UAFS holding a slim 28-27 lead.
-An 8-2 run by the Lions in the first three-plus minutes of the third quarter extended their lead to seven at 36-29, but that was the largest lead the visitors would hold. Alexander quickly slashed that to three with two straight baskets, and it became a one-point lead on a DeGrate layup with just under three minutes on the clock.
-Dede Johnson buried a jumper, and Alexander followed on the next possession with a 3-pointer to tie things at 42-42 with 2:10 left in the third. UAFS would net the final three points of that quarter, but the Jets opened the fourth with their 13-2 run to take over. The Lions managed to cut it back to a one-possession game, but the Jet defense once again took over, holding UAFS scoreless until a layup at the buzzer.
NOTES
-The victory was the second in a row for the Jets and a big one in the Heartland standings. The win pus Newman a half-game back of the Lions for second place.
-Alexander's 24 points came on 9-of-15 shooting, the fourth time in her past seven games the senior has netted at least 22 points.
-Newman assisted on 13 of its 20 field goals on the night. Erica Olerich led with four helpers to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets take an odd road trip in between playing six of seven games at home, traveling to St. Edward's Saturday afternoon.
