Game #24

Newman Jets (8-15, 2-12 MIAA) at Nebraska-Kearney (13-8, 7-5 MIAA)
Saturday Feb. 8 • 4:00 P.M. Kearney, Neb. • Health and Sports Center
Series Record: Series tied 0-0 Last Meeting:
Internet Audio: Newmanjets.com/listen Internet Video: themiaanetwork.com/newman
Up Next: Central Oklahoma • Saturday, Feb. 15 • 3:30 P.M. • Edmond, Okla.

LAST TIME OUT

In the first half, Newman would start the game on a 7-0 run to gain the early lead.  Newman would control the game for the next ten minutes until Fort Hays State would take the lead with 8:37 left, 19-18.  With the game tied at 19, Fort Hays State (10-11, 3-9 MIAA) would go on a 10-3 run to gain a 7 point advantage with 5:06 left in the first half, 29-22.  Newman would try to cut into the deficit before the half, but Fort Hays State would take a 6 point lead into the intermission.  In the second half, Newman would claw their way back into the game after trailing by 8 points, to tie the game at 52 with 11:07 left.  For the next few minutes, both teams would trade baskets back and forth.  With the game tied at 63 with 6:02 left, Newman struggled to keep the offense going as they were outscored 16-9 in the final six minutes and would fall to Fort Hays State 79-72.

THE COACHES
RJ Allen is in his third season as the head coach and ninth on the staff for the Jets. Allen is 8-15, 2-12 in the MIAA in his third season at Newman and first in the new conference. Allen has led Newman to a 36-26 overall record and a 21-11 Heartland Conference record over his first two seasons. Allen won Heartland Conference Coach of the Year honors in the 2017-18 season, he was the first coach to win the award in their first season. Prior to Newman, Allen spent 5 season as an assistant coach at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn.

Kevin Lofton enters his fourth season as head coach of Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball program in 2019-20. Over the last four seasons, UNK has gone a combined 67-54 (55.4 win pct.), recording the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons in a decade. The Lopers advanced to 2016 NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and reached the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Assoc.) Tournament semifinals twice. In five of the last six years Kearney has reached the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City.

ABOUT THE JETS
The Jets are 8-15 on the season, 2-12 in the MIAA. Newman is led in scoring by senior forward, Marshawn Blackmon at 16.7 points per game. Blackmon also leads the Jets in rebounding averaging 9.5 rebounds per game.

ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney is 13-8 on the season, 7-5 in the MIAA. The Lopers are led in scoring by Redshirt Senior forward, Morgan Soucie at 16.5 points per game. Soucie also leads the Lopers in rebounding at 6.1 per game.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the first meeting between Newman and UNK.

UP NEXT
The Jets will return to action as they travel to Edmond, Okla. to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday February 15^th at 3:30 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!