Game #16

Newman Jets (7-8, 2-4 MIAA) at Missouri Southern State (3-10, 0-5 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 11th • 1:30 P.M. Joplin, Mo. • Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Series tied 1-1 Last Meeting: Nov. 15, 2012 NU 58, vs MSSU 72 in Joplin, Mo.
Internet Audio: Newmanjets.com/listen Internet Video: themiaanetwork.com/newman
Up Next: Rogers State • Wednesday Jan. 15 • 5:30 P.M. • Wichita, Kan.

LAST TIME OUT
In the first quarter, the Jets would find themselves in an early hole.  After trailing by 10 points after the end of the first quarter, Newman would fight back to cut the deficit to 4 with 8:49 left in the first half.  Leading 43-39 with 2:53 left in the first half, the Gorillas would score the final 4 points of the half to take a 47-39 lead at the half.  In the second half, after both teams would exchange baskets, Pitt State (8-5,4-1) would go on a 7-2 run to get their largest lead of the quarter at 11 points with 5:14 left in the 3^rd quarter.  Newman would respond with a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 6 with 4:19 left in the 3^rd quarter.  The Gorillas would take an 8 point lead at the end of the 3^rd quarter.  To begin the fourth quarter, Pitt State would go on a 10-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 16 points with 6:52 left in regulation.  With 3:00 left and trailing by 15, the deficit was to much as Newman would fall 81-69.

THE COACHES
Darin Spence is in his eighth season as the Jets head coach, leading the Jets to a 7-7 record so far in the 2019-20 season. Spence has compiled a 567-308 record as a head women's basketball coach over a 28-year span across NCAA Division I and Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA schools. His seven years with the Jets have seen him amass a record of 113-96 overall and a 59-53 mark in Heartland Conference play. Under Spence's tenure, the Jets reached the Heartland Conference tournament in six of his seven seasons. Before coming to Newman, Spence spent one season at Barton Community College and eight seasons at Division I New Mexico State.

Ronnie Ressel is in his third season as the MSSU Women's Head Basketball Coach in 2019-20.  Ressel is entering his 17th season as part of the athletic department at Missouri Southern, serving as an assistant with both the men's and women's programs. A 1992 graduate of Missouri Southern, he returned to his alma mater for the 2002-03 campaign after spending ten years at Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill. In two years as a head coach for the women, Ressel has a record of 23-34. 

ABOUT THE JETS
Newman is 7-8 on the season, 2-4 in their first season in the MIAA. Newman has one player averaging double digits this season, Kaitlyn Potter at 16.9 points per game.  Abbey George leads the Jets in rebounding at 4.0 rebounds per game. 

ABOUT THE LIONS
Missouri Southern State is 3-10 on the season, 0-5 in the MIAA. The Lions have three players averaging double figures led by senior guard Destiny Cozart at 15.5 points per game.  Junior center Zoe Campbell leads the team in rebounding at 7.7 per game.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third meeting between these schools, with the series tied 1-1 with the latest matchup being Nov. 15, 2012 in Joplin, Mo. where the Lions knocked off the Jets 72-58.

LAST TIME VS MISSOURI SOUTHERN
The Newman women's basketball team lost its second straight road game Thursday night, dropping a 72-58 decision to the Lions of Missouri Southern State University.  Senior Kianna Flannagan led all scorers with 21 points in the loss.The Jets scored the first points of the game off a three pointer from Chenigwa Banks, but the Lions quickly answered back with a pair of layups from Shonte Clay and Tee Singleton.  A two-point basket from Sumayyah Muhammad gave the Jets a 9-8 lead at the 14:48 mark, and set off a 12-0 run for Newman, who seemed to be pulling ahead in the game.  However, the Lions would not be tamed so easily, and battled back with a pair of 6-0 scoreless runs to cut the Jets' lead to 25-22 with 1:17 to play in the half.  Johnna tenBerge drained a three from behind the arc to even the score, and the teams went into halftime locked at a 27-27 tie.  Missouri Southern jumped ahead early in the second half, scoring five quick points to put the score at 32-27, and give them a lead they would never relinquish.  A layup from Sheba Goode at the 15:29 mark cut the score 36-33, but the Lions answered right back with three pointers from tenBerge and Jolee Sharp, who led the team with 17 points on the night.  Newman kept the game close, trailing by only five points with 5:04 on the clock, until the Lions scored nine unanswered points, chewing three minutes off the clock in the process.  This put the game out of reach for the Jets, who couldn't seem to find the scoring rhythm they needed to overcome the Lions' early second half lead. 

UP NEXT
The Jets will take on the Rogers State University for another MIAA conference matchup on Wednesday, Jan. 15^th, 2020 starting at 5:30 P.M in Fugate Gymnasium.

LISTEN, WATCH & FOLLOW LIVE
Video streams for all of Newman's regular season contests are available on a pay per view basis on the MIAA Network. Events are available live and are immediately archived for on-demand viewing at the conclusion of the event at www.themiaanetwork.com/newman and on the MIAA Network apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. Listen along to all of the Newman Jets games on The Jets Audio Network with Blake Cripps on the call at newmanjets.com/listen. You can find all things Newman in the Newman Jets Athletics app available on both the App Store and on Google Play.