Pittsburg, Kan. – The Newman Jets traveled to Pittsburg, Kansas to take on Pittsburg State Gorillas Thursday night inside John Lance Arena. This game would turn out to be the fifth conference loss on the season and the fourth by less than 3 points for the Jets.
In the first half, the game was back and forth until the 15:47 mark when Pitt State (6-8, 2-3) went on a 13-0 run to take a 13 point lead, 21-8, with 11:42 left in the opening period. Even though Newman was down by double digits for the second game in a row, they would fight back to tie the game at 33-33 heading into the intermission as closed out the half on a 25-14 run.
Marshawn Blackmon and
David Javorsky led the comeback for the Jets as they both added 6 points apiece to Newman's run.
In the second half, Newman and Pitt State would exchange baskets until the 15:08 mark in the half when the Jets took their first lead since 4-2 early in the first half. Newman controlled the game for most of the second half as they set the pace and held a lead for the majority of the period. Newman's largest lead of the game came in the second half when a
Kalin Johnson layup made the lead 5, 48-43 with 12:28 left.
Pitt State would end the game on a 7-1 run to take a 65-62 lead with 20 seconds left in regulation. Newman had their chances to win or extend the game after PSU missed crucial free throws down the stretch, but the Gorillas defense came up huge getting two blocked shots to secure the 65-62 victory.
Newman (7-8, 1-5) shot 22-of-55 from the floor for 40 percent, 6-of-16 from three for 37 percent and 12-of-20 from the free throw line for 60 percent. While Pittsburg State shot 25-of-53 for 47 percent, and 4-of-18 from 3 for 22 percent. The Jets out-rebound the Gorillas by a margin of 3, 36-33.
Newman was led in scoring by
Marshawn Blackmon for the fourth game in a row, as he was the Jets only double figures scorer with 18 points. Blackmon also pulled in a game high 14 rebounds to notch his ninth double-double on the season.
Newman will travel to Joplin, Mo. to take on the conference leading Missouri Southern Lions with tip-off at 3:30 P.M on Saturday, Jan. 11th.
