Game #15
Newman Jets (3-12, 3-12 MIAA) at #12 Nebraska Kearney Lopers (13-2, 13-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 6 • 2:00 P.M. Kearney, Neb. • Health and Sports Center
Series Record: UNK leads series 4-1 Last Meeting: Dec. 10^th, 2020 UNK 53 NU 47 in Wichita, Kan.
Internet Video: themiaanetwork.com/newman
Up Next: at Central Oklahoma • Sat. Feb. 13 • 1:30 P.M. • Edmond, Okla.

LAST TIME OUT
Fort Hays State would come out firing in the first quarter as they would score on three of their first four possessions to jump out to an early 8-0 lead. Newman would outscore the Tigers over the next three minutes as they would cut the FHSU lead down to just four points, 10-6. The Jets would trail 18-11 heading into the second quarter.  The Jets would start the second quarter outscoring the tigers 13-5 behind two three point baskets by Makayla Hayes to make the score 24-23 in favor of Newman. The Tigers would take the lead back on the ensuing possession and would keep it around four points until they would close out the half on an 11-3 scoring run to take a 39-29 lead into the intermission.  Fort Hays State would continue to pull away from Newman in the third quarter as they would outscore the Jets 15-9 in the quarter to take a 54-39 lead into the final quarter of play. Both teams would play the fourth quarter pretty evenly as Fort Hays State would take down Newman with a final score of 68-50.

THE COACHES
Darin Spence begins his ninth season as the Jets head coach, leading the Jets to a 3-12, 3-12 in the MIAA record so far in the 2020-21 season. Spence has compiled 593 wins as a head women's basketball coach over a 29-year span across NCAA Division I and Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA schools. His eight years with the Jets have seen him amass a record of 120-112 overall and a 8-15 record in MIAA Conference play as well as 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.

Carrie Eighmey enters her 4th season as head coach of the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball program in 2020-21. Eighmey has a career coaching record of 158-88 in leading the Loper and Broncos programs for a total of eight 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 3-12 on the season, 3-12 in the MIAA. Newman is led in scoring by Senior Guard Brooke Haney at 10.5 points per game.  Madison Birnbaum leads the Jets in rebounding at 5.9 rebounds per game. 

ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska Kearney is 13-2 on the season, 13-2 in the MIAA. The Lopers are led in scoring by Elisa Backes at 11.7 points per game. Klaire Kirsch leads the Lopers in rebounding at 9.1 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between these two schools with the Lopers leading the series 4-1 over Newman.

LAST TIME VS NEBRASKA KEARNEY
Nebraska Kearney (3-0, 3-0) would get the scoring going with a three point basket to gain the early advantage.  The teams would go back and forth exchanging baskets with one another and with the Jets leading 12-10, the Lopers would score the final three points to gain a one point lead going into the second quarter.  In the second quarter, both teams continued to exchange baskets as we would head to the intermission with the score all square at 24-24.  The Lopers would start the second half going on a 7-0 run to gain a 31-24 lead.  After the Jets were able to cut into the Lopers lead numerous times in the quarter, Nebraska Kearney would end the third quarter on a 5-0 run taking a 41-33 lead into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Lady Jets were able to cut the deficit down to three points with 1:59 left, 48-45.  The Jets had opportunities to tie the game late, but the shots didn't fall and with a few free throws by Nebraska Kearney, the Lopers would leave Wichita 53-47 victory over the Jets.

UP NEXT
The Jets will continue their road trip as they travel down to Edmond, Oklahoma to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 13^th with tip-off at 1:30 PM.

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 is 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. You can find all things Newman in the Newman Jets Athletics app available in both the App Store and on Google Play.