Game #24

 Newman Jets (9-14, 4-10 MIAA) at RV Nebraska-Kearney (21-2, 10-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 8 • 2:00 P.M. Kearney, Neb. • Health and Sports Center
Series Record: UNK leads series 2-0 Last Meeting: Nov. 17^th, 2017 NU 74 UNK 79 OT in Hays, Kan.
Internet Audio: Newmanjets.com/listen Internet Video: themiaanetwork.com/newman
Up Next: Central Oklahoma • Saturday, Feb. 15 • 1:30 P.M. • Edmond, Okla.

LAST TIME OUT
To begin the game, the Jets were able to attack and defend well against the Tigers.  The Jets were able to limit Fort Hays State (17-4, 8-4) to 28 percent from the field in the first quarter, which allowed the Jets to gain a 17-11 lead after one quarter of play.  In the second quarter the Tigers started to get comfortable as they would outscore the Jets 26-13 in the second quarter on 12-16 shooting from the field to gain a 37-30 lead at the intermission.  In the second half, Newman would be able to keep the Fort Hays lead at single digits for most of the half but Fort Hays State continued attacking the Jets especially in the paint where the Tigers would outscore the Jets 32-14.  Fort Hays State would get their largest lead of the game at 22 points, 76-54, with 2:41 left.  The Tigers were able to coast to victory for most of the 4^th quarter as they took down the Jets 78-58.

THE COACHES
Darin Spence is in his eighth season as the Jets head coach, leading the Jets to a 9-14 record so far in the 2019-20 season. Spence has compiled a 569-315 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 113-97 overall and a 59-53 mark in Heartland Conference play. During 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.

Carrie Eighmey enters her 3^rd season as head coach of the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball program in 2019-20. Eighmey has a career coaching record of 132-58 in leading the Loper and Broncos programs for a total of seven seasons. Hastings won 25 and 28 games, respectively, in 2014 and 2015, reaching the NAIA Division II Tournament national quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals a year later.

ABOUT THE JETS
Newman is 9-14 on the season, 4-10 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 4.4 rebounds per game. 

ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney is 21-2 on the season, 10-2 in the MIAA. The Lopers are led by graduate assistant guard Haley Simental at 12.4 points per game and have two other players averaging double figures. Klaire Kirsch leads the team in rebounding at 7.7 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third meeting between Newman and Nebraska-Kearney with the latest meeting being Nov. 17^th, 2017 where the Lopers knocked off the Jets 79-74 in Overtime in Hays, Kan.

LAST TIME VS. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 
A 3-pointer from Hannah Alexander tied things up 65-65 a minute into overtime for the Jets (4-1), but the Lopers (3-0) responded with an eight-point run to build a lead over the next 90 seconds. Newman was able to get it back down to one point in the final seconds, but UNK converted a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play, and it held on to escape with the win.  Newman continued its run of good starts it's posted this season. Jazzmen Ortiz nailed a 3-pointer to give the Jets a 3-1 lead, the first of 10 lead changes, to go with eight ties, in the game. The Lopers went up 7-5 with 2:34 to go in the first quarter, but Newman answered with an 8-2 run to close the quarter, getting a bucket from Dede Johnson to tie it, and five straight points from Bria DeGrate to close the period.  DeGrate made it a personal 8-0 run with a trey early in the second, and an Ortiz basket made it a nine-point game at the 7:47 mark. UNK got it as close as three during the quarter, but Abbey George converted three free throws to push the lead to 11 at 29-18 with 2:27 on the clock, and the lead ballooned to 13 with a Johnson 3-pointer.  George nailed a triple early in the third, making it 40-26. A 5-0 run from the Lopers cut it to single digits, but Erica Olerich sank a 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the stanza to make it 43-31. Mel George closed the third with a strong run, with her free throws at 1:53 and basket with 44 seconds on the clock both pushing it to an 11-point lead.  Haley Albers extended the lead to 13 at 51-38 at the 7:16 mark of the fourth quarter, but the Lopers found a groove and were able to go on a 16-0 run over three-plus minutes to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter. DeGrate's steal and basket put Newman up by one with 1:41 to play, and Olerich's 3-pointer made it 60-58 with 44 seconds left, but UNK managed to get the tying bucket to send it to overtime.

UP NEXT
The Jets will return to action as they travel to Edmond, Okla. to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 15^th with tip-off slated for 1:30 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!