WICHITA, Kan. — Never trailing throughout the game, the Newman women's basketball team kept its unbeaten start to Heartland Conference play intact, turning back Rogers State 78-57 Thursday night at Fugate Gymnasium.
KEY SEQUENCE
While the Jets (11-5, 3-0 Heartland) rarely allowed the Hillcats (4-9, 0-2 Heartland) to be within a single possession, there were some close moments, especially when the guests pulled to within seven just over three minutes into the second half. Newman responded with back-to-back buckets from Dede Johnson and Nia Roberts to push the lead back into double figures and key an 11-3 run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Hannah Alexander scored eight straight points in a span of 63 seconds to help Newman out to an early 10-2 lead in the first quarter. The Hillcats answered right back, with a three-point play from Nikola Nedoroscikova helping the visitors on a 9-3 run to cut it to 13-11.
-Five points out of Johnson late in the first helped the Jets out to a 23-14 advantage, and while RSU got as close as six with 7:34 left in the second quarter, Newman rattled off 11 straight points. Roberts hit a pair of baskets during that run, while Abbey George converted on four free throws and Bria DeGrate nailed a 3-pointer.
-A slow start for the Jets in the second half allowed the Hillcats to slice into the lead a bit, getting as close as 42-35, but the Jets responded with their spurt to push the lead back to 15. Jazzmen Ortiz nailed a running 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, starting a 15-2 run for the hosts that bled through the first half of the fourth.
NOTES
-Newman held the lead for all but 53 seconds of gametime, forcing 16 turnovers out of the Hillcats and scoring 18 points off those miscues.
-DeGrate put up a team-high 15 points, burying 4-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. Roberts and George each added 14 points, combining to shoot 9-of-17 from the floor.
-The Jets have now won three straight and six of their past seven.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets embark on a three-game road trip, beginning with a Saturday matinee at Arkansas-Fort Smith.
