Game #22

Missouri Western Griffons (14-5, 6-4 MIAA) at Newman Jets (9-12, 4-8 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 1 • 1:30 P.M. Wichita, Kan. • Fugate Gymnasium
Series Record: MW leads series 3-0 Last Meeting: Dec. 19^th, 2018 NU 58 MW 68
Internet Audio: Newmanjets.com/listen Internet Video: themiaanetwork.com/newman
Up Next: Fort Hays State • Thursday, Feb. 6 • 5:30 P.M. • Hays, Kan.

LAST TIME OUT
For the majority of this contest Newman and NWMSU were neck and neck with both teams largest lead being 5 points.  In the final seconds of regulation, with the Jets trailing by two, Kaitlyn Potter drove into the lane and made a layup to tie the game at 54 with three seconds left to force overtime. We would remain tied at the end of the first overtime with the score 59-59.  In the second overtime, NWMSU would take a four point lead with 22 seconds left.  A layup by Kaitlyn Potter would cut the deficit to two with 10 seconds left 69-67.  Northwest Missouri State (9-10, 4-6) would make one of two free throws to make the score 70-67 with 9 seconds left.  Newman would have one last chance as Kaitlyn Potter had a good look at a three but hit it off the back of the rim as Northwest Missouri State defeated Newman 70-67.


THE COACHES
Darin Spence is in his eighth season as the Jets head coach, leading the Jets to a 9-12 record so far in the 2019-20 season. Spence has compiled a 569-313 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.

Candi Whitaker is in her first season as Missouri Western Women's Basketball head coach. 
Whitaker recently served as the head coach at Texas Tech from 2013-18. Previously she was an associate head coach at Oklahoma State (2012-13) and the head coach at UMKC (2006-12). She has coached 24 student-athletes to all-conference honors, 47 to academic all-conference status and produced seven nationally ranked recruiting classes. As a head coach, Whitaker's student-athletes have posted a 100 percent graduation rate.

ABOUT THE JETS
Newman is 9-12 on the season, 4-8 in their first season in the MIAA. Newman has one player averaging double digits this season, Kaitlyn Potter at 16.8 points per game.  Abbey George leads the Jets in rebounding at 4.3 rebounds per game. 

ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 14-5 on the season, 6-4 in the MIAA. The Griffons are led by junior forward Corbyn Cunningham at 15.1 points per game.  Chris Wilson leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 per game.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the fourth meeting between Newman and Missouri Western with the latest meeting being Dec. 19^th, 2018 where the Griffons knocked off the Jets 68-58 in St. Joseph, Mo.

LAST TIME VS. MISSOURI WESTERN
Offense was hard to come by early, until sophomore Braxtyn Stewart hit a triple ending the 1:20 scoring drought giving the Jets the 3-0 lead. MWSU answered back taking their first lead, 8-3 with 1:41 to play in the quarter. Despite the early shooting woes, the Jets closed the quarter strong with a 6-0 run off Haley Albers and Kaitlyn Potter back-to-back triples. The Jets took an 11-8 lead into the second quarter.  After a slow start in the second quarter a jumper from freshman, forward Faith Mason-Vestal ended the Jets 4:05 scoring drought and MWSU 6-0 run. The Griffons used a late run of 9-2 in the quarter, stretching their lead to 25-18. Potter, the Arkansas City, KS native kept Newman in the contest scoring the final seven points for the Jets. The Griffons gained the momentum just before the half on a three pointer that fell beating the buzzer, gaining their largest lead of, 28-20.  The Griffons offense continued the momentum out of the halftime break with an opening 5-0 run, 35-24. Stewart put the run to rest hitting her second triple of the game cutting the Griffons lead back down to single digits. The Griffons offense continued to attack the Jets, storming back with a 7-0 run extending their lead back out to double digits, 42-27.  The three point shooting by the Jets continued to keep the game in reach after Makayla Hayes and Potter hit back-to-back triples, cutting the lead to 12 late in the third. The Griffons scored the final three points of the third taking a 53-38 lead into the fourth.  After trailing by as many as 17 just 18 seconds into in the fourth quarter, the Jets would not go away easy. The Jets cut the Griffons lead to single digits, 57-48 with 6:08 to play after a 5-0 run. Potter continued to lead the comeback for the Jets, scoring eight of the Jets 10 points during a 10-0 run, cutting the MWSU lead to three with 55 seconds to play. The Jets however were unable to get any closer as the Griffons knocked down seven of their final eight free throws spoiling the late fourth quarter comeback, 68-58.

UP NEXT
The Jets will return to action as they travel to Hays, Kan. to take on Fort Hays State on Thursday, Feb. 6^th with tip-off slated for 5:30 P.M. for another MIAA conference matchup.

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 now find all things Newman in the Newman Jets Athletics app available in both the App Store and on Google Play. For all of your Newman Jets Athletics apparel needs visit nujetsgear.com!