Games 6 & 7: Newman (3-2, 0-0 MIAA) vs. Pittsburg State (1-5, 0-0 MIAA)
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 | 7:30 p.m. | Pittsburg, Kan. (John Lance Arena)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network
 
@ Missouri Southern (3-3, 0-0 MIAA)
Saturday, December 4, 2021 | 3:30 p.m. | Joplin, Mo. (Leggett & Platt Athletic Center)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network
 
AND HERE WE... GO
Newman enters MIAA play on the road this week.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Jets scored 29 points on 18 Manhattan Christian College turnovers and pulled away in the second half for an 81-67 victory to wrap up non-conference play Saturday, November 27.  NU responded to an early Thunder basket with an 8-0 run, but MCC would answer with a 7-0 spurt of their own to retake the lead.  The teams traded the lead for much of the rest of the half until the Jets took the lead for good with an 8-1 run that put NU on top 34-28 with three and a half minutes to go before halftime.  After MCC cut the deficit to five in the second half, the Navy & Red responded with a 14-2 run over the next four minutes of the game.  The Thunder never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.  Israel Barnes scored 17 points in 17 minutes in his NU debut to pace the Jets.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
Newman ended last year's pandemic-abbreviated season 4-18 while playing all 22 games within the MIAA.  The Jets return 10 players from a year ago, including two of their top three scorers from that team.  The Jets will suit up four players classified as juniors this season who played at that classification a year ago, but plan to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The Jets welcome five new freshmen to the program and they are joined by three sophomores and three other juniors.  Transferring into the Jets program are Clay Center High School product Anthony Atkinson (Barton County), former Wichita Southeast High School star Israel Barnes (Texas-Permian Basin, Weber St.), A. J. Morris (Alcorn St.), Kent Olewiler (Eastern, PA), and Damani Thomas (Niagara).
 
TOP RETURNERS
Junior guard Branden Bunn is the Jets' leading returning scorer after scoring 11.8 ppg a year ago.  Bunn also led the Jets in 3-pointers connecting on 42.5% of his attempts.  Bunn also proved a valuable addition to the Jets defense by leading the Navy & Red with 24 steals last season.  Redshirt junior forward DeAndre Johnson is NU's leading returning rebounder after snatching 4.3 rpg for the Jets last year.  Sophomore guard Ian Lee returns to pilot the Jets offense after tallying the second-most assists for NU a year ago with 46 dimes against just 40 turnovers.  Lee is also the best returning free throw shooter from last year's team after connecting on over 86% of his tries from the line.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Pittsburg State wrapped up 2020-21 with a 10-12 record with all 22 games played against MIAA competition.  Pitt State started the year strong with a 2-0 start including a two-point victory over Newman, but the Gorillas gave the good start back with back-to-back losses.  Pitt State was in prime position to make the MIAA Tournament after winning five-straight games in late January and early February to move their record to 10-7, but the Gorillas missed the postseason with a five-game losing streak to end the year including a two-point loss to the Jets in a must-win game in the season finale.  The Gorillas look to end a streak of back-to-back losing seasons in 2021-22, the first consecutive seasons under .500 since 2008-09 and 2009-10 when the Gorillas went a combined 19-35 to end the Gene Iba coaching tenure.  Pitt State is seeking its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2015 when head coach Kevin Muff led the Gorillas to an at-large berth in the Big Dance after going 20-12 with a 12-7 record in MIAA action.
 
Following three-straight seasons of at least 20 victories, the Lions took a step back last year with a 13-10 record while going 13-9 in the MIAA.  A 109-101 defeat in the first round of the MIAA Tournament to Central Oklahoma ended MSSU's season.  The Lions have posted eight-straight winning seasons since a 13-15 mark in 2012-13 when the Lions struggled to a 7-11 mark in 'Association' play.  Overall the Lions have won at least 20 games in seven of their last 11 seasons with just two losing campaigns over that stretch.  The Lions have made 22-straight appearances in the MIAA Tournament and haven't missed the postseason since 1998.  MoSo is seeking its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance and first earning an NCAA Tournament berth into the cancelled 2020 Big Dance.
 
The Lions host Central Oklahoma on Thursday, December 2.
 
THE SERIES
Pittsburg State leads 8-5 in NU's NCAA Division II era.  The Jets and Gorillas split two one-possession games last year with the road team winning both games.  Pitt State had won four in a row and 5 of 6 until the Jets defeated the Gorillas in the season finale to keep Pitt State out of the MIAA Tournament.  NU's last win in Pittsburg was November 20, 2012 before last season.  The Gorillas lead the all-time series 18-13.  NU is 4-13 against the Gorillas in Pittsburg.
 
Missouri Southern leads 3-1 in NU's NCAA Division II era with the Lions winning the last three meetings.  NU's last victory in the series came in overtime December 17, 2007.  The Lions lead the all-time series 5-2 with the Jets 0-3 all-time against the Lions in Joplin, Mo.  The Lions won the teams' only matchup last year.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
NU trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half but rallied late to win 79-77 February 27, 2021 to keep the Gorillas out of the MIAA Tournament.  The Navy & Red trailed 31-27 at the half and trailed 47-36 with 16 minutes to play in the game.  After cutting the deficit to four, the Gorillas built their advantage back to seven with 10 minutes to play.  The Jets wouldn't go away answering with a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the half with just under six minutes to play.  From there the lead was traded eight times in the final five minutes of the game with Joel Boyce giving the Jets the lead for good on a layup with just 18 seconds to play.  Ian Lee paced the Jets with a career-high 23 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
After trailing 43-27 at the half and by 21 with around 19 minutes to play, a furious NU rally fell just short as a game-tying three missed at the buzzer and #21 Missouri Southern escaped Fugate Gymnasium with an 82-79 victory to drop the Jets to 0-1 to start the 2020-21 season November 21, 2020.  After shooting just 28% from the field in the half with 4 of 17 shooting from outside the arc, NU got cooking in the second half to the tune of 65% shooting while nailing 10 of 16 3-pointers.  Down 48-27 with 19:20 to go, the Jets hit three consecutive 3-pointers to cut the lead to 12.  The Lions built the lead back to 16 twice and enjoyed a 12-point edge with 4:14 to go, but the Navy & Red wouldn't allow another Lion field goal the rest of the game.  The Jets ended the contest on a 10-1 run, but a David Javorsky three-ball from the top of the circle misfired and MSSU avoided the upset.  Branden Bunn tied for the game-high with 23 points in his Newman debut.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his fifth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 11th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 47-60 over his first 4 years in Wichita with a 7-34 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first two years in the league.  Joel Boyce was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2021 while Marshawn Blackmon earned Third Team recognition in 2020.  During the Jets' last year in the Heartland Conference, Allen led NU to a 20-9 overall record while finishing third in the Heartland Conference at 11-5.  The 20 wins tied the NU record for victories in their NCAA Division II era.  NU also finished the season in the Top 10 of the South Central Regional Rankings.  Allen was named the 2018 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm at Newman after guiding the Jets on a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season that saw NU finish 14-14 overall and third in the conference with a 10-6 record.
 
Allen arrived in Wichita in 2011 and spent six seasons as an assistant and eventually associate head coach under Mark Potter, NU's all-time winningest coach.  The Jets won 88 games over those 6 years and made four trips to the Heartland Conference Tournament and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after going 20-8 in 2012-13.  He was also on the bench when the Jets knocked off No. 2 seed Lubbock Christian in the first round of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament to earn its first ever postseason victory as an NCAA program.
 
Allen is no stranger to the Air Capital after growing up in Wichita and playing his prep years for his dad, Ron, at Wichita East High School.  Allen was a two time All-City and All-State selection and helped lead the Blue Aces to the 2002 6A state championship.  Following high school, Allen stayed local playing two years at Hutchinson Community College.  The Blue Dragons dominated during Allen's career going 57-9 over the two-year span with a 41-1 record in Jayhawk Conference play and winning the conference title in 2004.
 
LEADING THE TROOP AND PREPARING THE PRIDE
Kim Anderson is in his fifth year on the bench at Pittsburg State.  Anderson entered the 2021-22 season with a 357-218 career record with a 56-50 mark at Pitt State.  Anderson led the Gorillas to 17-13 records in each of his first two seasons, but Pitt State went just 22-30 over the past two years.  Anderson joined the Gorillas after spending three seasons as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Missouri.  While in Columbia, Mo., the Tigers went 27-68 with an 8-46 record in the SEC.  Before his first NCAA Division I job, Anderson won nearly 75% of his games as the head coach at MIAA-member Central Missouri.  The Mules suffered just one losing season with Anderson at the helm as he led UCM to a 274-94 record while notching a 158-67 mark in the MIAA. 
 
Over his 12-year tenure in Warrensburg, the Mules enjoyed seven 20+-win seasons, three 30+-win seasons, four MIAA titles, and four MIAA Tournament titles.  In his last season on the bench, the Mules were 30-5, 16-3 in the MIAA, swept the conference regular season and tournament titles, and won the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship.  The 2013-14 Mules split their MIAA regular season title with Northwest Missouri and is the last team to capture a piece of the crown before the Bearcats run of dominance.  Anderson is currently sixth in MIAA history in coaching wins and the active wins leader among current MIAA coaches.  Anderson previously spent time as an assistant coach at Missouri and Baylor before landing his first head coaching gig at Central Missouri.  As a player, Anderson was the 1977 Big Eight co-Player of the Year and played one season with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA.
 
Jeff Boschee is in his eighth season leading Lions basketball following four seasons as an assistant coach.  His tenure began with the 2014-15 season and entering this year, Boschee has collected a record of 137-71.  He was the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in Missouri Southern history.  Boschee's teams have never missed the MIAA Tournament either as an assistant or as head coach.  He is the only coach to take three consecutive Lions teams to the NCAA Tournament.  MSSU enters the year 187-87 with Boschee on the bench as a coach.  Boschee came to Joplin, Mo., following 3 seasons at the Barstow School in Kansas City.  As a player, Boschee enjoyed an illustrious career at the University of Kansas where he collected Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2000.  He was a Third Team All-Big 12 selection as a senior and played a big role on the Jayhawks' run to the Final Four in 2002.  Boschee departed as the Big 12 career leader in 3-pointers made and still holds the KU record in that category and was second all-time in games started for the Crimson & Blue.
 
CLOSE CALLS
Newman played in 11 games last year in which the score of the game was within six points at some point in the final minute of regulation.  The Jets finished 3-8 in games where the final score was decided by a margin of 10 points or less a season ago. 
 
NEW MANAGEMENT
Kyle McLeroy begins his first year as assistant coach at Newman after spending the previous two years as a graduate assistant at Dallas Baptist University, a former Heartland Conference rival of the Jets.  Serving under long-time head coach Dr. Blake Flickner, McLeroy helped lead the Patriots to a 38-14 record over his two seasons.  DBU also earned a berth into two NCAA Tournaments with McLeroy on the bench.
 
McLeroy prepped at Cypress Ranch High School in Cypress, Texas before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.  As a freshman, he helped the Crusaders to a 25-3 record and a No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Division III Top 25.  He redshirted the next season and then transferred to NCAA Division I Sam Houston State.  There he led the Bearkats to a combined 50-20 record over his two seasons and helped set a new NCAA DI-era program record with 26 wins in the 2014-15 season.  Sam Houston State played twice in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game and made two appearances in the College Insider Tournament.
 
ASSERTING THEIR AUTHORITY
Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in the 2007-08 season, the Jets are a perfect 34-0 against NAIA-level competition.  Overall, the Jets have won 35 straight games against NAIA-level schools dating back to their last season as a member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2006-07.  The Jets last fell to an NAIA school in their penultimate game in the MCAC, a 73-64 defeat to Bellevue in Wichita February 16, 2007.  Newman's previous win over an NAIA-level or lower squad came in an 81-67 triumph over Manhattan Christian College Saturday, November 27, 2021.
 
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Through the end of non-conference play, Ian Lee was tied for fifth in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.875).
• A. J. Morris was tied for seventh in the MIAA in steals per game (2.0) ahead of non-conference play.
• Newman's 47% shooting from bonus distance against Tabor ranked ninth among MIAA members ahead of conference play.
• The Jets' 10 steals against Southwest Minnesota State tied for ninth most in the league this year ahead of MIAA action.  The Jets also recorded 10 thefts in a win over Sterling College.
• The Jets' 22 free throws against Sterling were tied for fifth most in the league this year through the non-conference schedule.
• In the same game against the Warriors, the Jets attempted 27 free throws, good for seventh most in the league through the non-con.
• The Navy & Red committed the second-most fouls in any game featuring an MIAA member ahead of the conference slate when they hacked 27 times in a season-opening loss at Concordia-St. Paul.

 
NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• At the conclusion of non-conference play, the Jets were 11^th in the MIAA in scoring averaging 70 ppg.  The Jets were eighth in defense surrendering 66.8 ppg.
• The Jets can push their winning streak to four with a win at Pittsburg State on Wednesday night.
• Freshman guard Stevie Strong has scored in double figures in four consecutive games.
• Second-year freshman forward Jorge Oliva has scored in double figures in back-to-back contests.
• Junior small forward Israel Barnes scored a career-high 17 points in just 17 minutes in the Jets' victory over Manhattan Christian.
• Freshman guard Stevie Strong poured in a career-high 20 points in NU's 82-57 victory over Sterling.
• Sophomore Damani Thomas collected a career-high 11 points in Newman's 59-53 win over Tabor on November 18, 2021.
• Graduate guard A. J. Morris notched an NU-career-best 11 points in the Navy & Red's season opening loss @ Concordia-St. Paul.
• The Jets are looking for their first winning season since 2018-19 when Newman finished 20-9 while tying for third in the Heartland Conference.  NU also seeks its first 10-win season since that same campaign.  2018-19 was also the last season NU participated in the postseason, losing in the first round of the final Heartland Conference Tournament to Rogers State.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Jets return home to host Emporia State and Washburn next week on Wednesday and Saturday at Fugate Gymnasium.