Game 3:
Newman (1-1, 0-0 MIAA) vs. Sterling (3-2, 0-0 KCAC)
Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play:  Blake Cripps) | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  NU Athletics
 
OPEN THE 'GATE
The Newman Jets begin their home schedule with a nonconference test on Wednesday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Southwest Minnesota State held the Jets to just 21.7% shooting at the half and coasted to a 76-56 victory at the Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge Nov. 12.  The Mustang defense frustrated the Jets into 23 turnovers in the game while building a 22-5 first-half lead thanks to an 18-0 run.  The Jets were held to just 5-for-23 shooting at the break and, despite outscoring SMSU by one in the second half, could never reel in a Mustang lead that crested over 30 points in the second half.  Stevie Strong led the Jets in scoring for the second-consecutive game with 11 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
In game one of the Regional Challenge Nov. 11, the Jets won their season opener by defeating Concordia-St. Paul 97-85.
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
The Jets went 6-21 in 2021-22 with a 3-19 record inside the MIAA.  Newman returns four players from last year's squad including second-leading scorer Stevie Strong, who averaged 13.7 ppg.  Strong was also second on the team in steals with 22 and led the Jets in 3-pointers shooting 44-for-138 from outside (31.9%).  Strong also paced the Jets from the foul line with 68 free throws on the way to shooting an impressive 89.5%.  Junior Ian Lee started 23 of 27 games for the Jets last season and dazzled offensively with 83 assists against just 43 turnovers.  Lee was also Newman's third-leading scorer at 9.6 ppg.
 
The Jets will be junior and graduate led this season with no seniors on the roster.  The Jets start the season with seven freshmen on the roster.  The Navy & Red will feature eight transfers this season: five from the junior college level and four from NCAA Division I.  Newman's roster features two graduate students, six juniors, and four sophomores.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
The Sterling Warriors have already surpassed their win total from 2021-22.  Sterling College struggled to a 2-29 mark last season while losing all 24 of their games inside the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.  The last time the Warriors won at least 10 games was the 2015-16 campaign when Sterling finished 10-19 with an 8-12 KCAC record.  The Warriors have suffered seven-straight losing seasons since finishing at .500 in 2014-15 at 16-16 overall and 9-9 in the KCAC.  Sterling made a Cinderella run through the KCAC Tournament that year losing in the championship round to Friends.  Sterling's last winning campaigns were the year prior in 2013-14 when the Warriors wrapped up a 24-8 season after going 14-4 in league play.  Sterling is looking to return to the NAIA Tournament this season for the first time since 2011.  Those Warriors finished 21-11 and won the KCAC Tournament, falling in the first round of the NAIA Tournament to then nonconference foe Oklahoma Wesleyan.
 
Following back-to-back wins against Ecclesia and Randall, the Warriors dropped an 84-74 decision against Hastings in their second game of the Tabor Classic Nov. 12.  The Broncos outscored Sterling 15-9 at the free throw line in the game.  Junior guard Cedric Rollerson led the Warriors with 20 points in the loss.
 
THE SERIES
Newman leads the series 4-0 in NU's NCAA Division II era.  The teams split their last six meetings as fellow members of the NAIA with the Warriors ending the NAIA era of the series with three-straight victories. 
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
After a competitive first half, the Jets used a 16-0 second-half run to put away the Warriors in a 98-66 victory December 16, 2019, at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  The game was nip-and-tuck through the first 12 minutes and the teams battled to a 29-29 tie before the Jets were able to gain some distance on the Warriors by outscoring them 17-10 over the last eight minutes of the first.  The Newman offense, efficient all day, was just too much for Sterling to slow down in the second half as the Navy & Red shot 56% from the field in the period while outscoring the Warriors 16-7 at the free throw line.  Kalin Johnson led five Jets in double digits with 18 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
THE 40-POINT CLUB
Sophomore guard Stevie Strong became just the third NU player to score at least 40 points in a game when he dropped 40 on Concordia-St. Paul in the Jets' season opener last week.  It is the first time a Jet has scored at least 40 points since Taylor Schieber set the single-game scoring record with 45 against Texas A&M International February 25, 2017, in then head coach Mark Potter's final home game at Fugate Gymnasium.  The 40 points by Strong are the most ever scored by a Newman player in a season opener and tied for second-most all-time. 
 
SINGLE-GAME SCORING
Rk            Player                      Points      Opponent                Date       
1.             Taylor Schieber       45            TAMIU                     2/25/17
2.             Ryan Bradley           40            TAMIU                     2/16/08
                Stevie Strong          40            Concordia-St. Paul  11/11/22
4.             Reggie Baker           36            at UAFS                   1/22/15  
5.             Reggie Baker           34            St. Mary's                1/31/15
6.             Keaton Schultz        32            at OPSU                   1/23/10
                Taylor Schieber       32            at Rogers State       1/2/17
                Daniel Nwosu Jr.     32            at St. Mary's            1/21/17
                Ben Ayre                 32            at Dallas Baptist      3/2/19
10.           Cortrael Colbert      31            at OPSU                   2/5/15    
                Gavin Thurman       31            TAMIU                     1/2/16
 
In addition, his 11 field goals are the 16^th time a Jet has nailed that many shots in a single game.  Strong hit 13 of his 14 free throws in the game, which tied him with Jarvis Jackson and Ben Ayre for fourth on the single-game free throws made list.  The 14 attempted free throws are tied for 10^th most and are the ninth occurrence of that feat.
 
I MISS THE 90'S
The Jets offense soared to a 97-85 victory in the season opener against Concordia-St. Paul Nov. 11.  It was the first time crossing 90 points for the Navy & Red since a 90-68 victory over Central Oklahoma on December 19, 2020, in NU's final game before Christmas break.  The 97 points set a program record for the most in a season opener for the Jets in the NCAA Division II era and was the most NU had scored since the Navy & Red beat Kansas Wesleyan 97-65 November 6, 2004.
 
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 November 27, 2021.
 
A FAMILIAR START
Newman played in a season tip-off tournament for the eighth time in nine years to open up the season in 2022-23.  It was the 11^th appearance for the Jets in such an event in the program's NCAA Division II history.  NU is now 10-9 in such events.
 
LET'S TURN THIS AROUND
Newman is 2-4 in season openers under coach Allen.  NU broke a four-game losing streak in season openers with their win against Concordia-St. Paul last weekend.  This was the second-straight year the Jets have opened up against the Golden Bears.  The Navy & Red are now 9-7 in season-openers as an NCAA Division II program.
 
A STRONG START
Stevie Strong's start to his Newman career landed him in the NU record book last season.  Strong's 288 points in just 21 games set the season scoring record for a Newman freshman.  Not only that, but Strong also set the single-game freshman scoring record by pouring in 29 points in a game against Northeastern State last season.  Strong also set the record for season free throw percentage by hitting 89.5% of his charity shots.  Strong's 29 consecutive makes at the line to open a season were also best all-time by a Jet. 
 
'LEE'SING AGREEMENT
Ian Lee has developed into one of the MIAA's premier distributors in the conference over his first two seasons with the Jets.  Through just 49 games, Lee has cracked the Top 10 in career assists for the Jets with 129.  He's currently tied with Jarvis Jackson for sixth in career assists per game with 2.6 apg.  Lee's 83 assists last year also tied him with Jackson for ninth on the season assists list.  His 3.1 apg in 2021-22 also landed him in a tie for 10^th on the season assists per game rankings tied with Kyle Smith, Jarvis Jackson, and Jalen Love.
 
STAYING BUSY
Newman men's basketball played multiple exhibitions this season against NCAA Division I foes for the first time since 2010.  After playing the Shockers to tip off the preseason, Newman headed to Springfield, Missouri to face the Missouri State Bears from the Missouri Valley Conference.  In 2010-11, the Jets played exhibitions at Kansas State and Wichita State before tipping off the season.
 
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his sixth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 12th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 53-81 over his first five years in Wichita with a 10-55 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first three years in the league.  Israel Barnes received All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition last season, 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.
 
Allen is 2-0 against Sterling College.
 
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Randy Stange is in his first season on the bench at Sterling College.  He replaces Adam Hooker who was replaced after leading the Warriors to an 18-69 record over his three seasons with the team.  Before his appointment at Sterling, Stange had served as the athletic director at Johnson County Community College since 2017.  He had served the prior 18 years as athletic director at Hutchinson Community College, leading the Blue Dragons to 33 Jayhawk Conference titles and 28 Region VI championships.  Stange previously started his coaching career at Hutchinson just before the 1994-95 season.  In three seasons on the bench in Hutch, he led the Blue Dragons to an 85-20 record with a Jayhawk West title and one Region VI championship.  Prior to this stint, Stange served as an assistant coach at Kansas State, Missouri State, and Saint Louis University.  A Kansas native, Stange was a high school standout at Nickerson High School before starting his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College.  As a player, Stange led HCC to a 46-15 record while going 30-3 at home in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.  He transferred to Missouri State and was Second Team All-Mid-Continent Conference for the Bears as a senior and is a member of the MoState Hall of Fame.
 
Stange is facing the Jets for the first time in NU's Division II history.
 
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Wichita-native Israel Barnes finished fifth in the league in scoring last season averaging 18.9 ppg.
• Deandre Johnson, who graduated last spring, finished his last season with the Jets tied for ninth in the league in rebounding grabbing 6.0 boards per game.
• Stevie Strong finished eighth in 3-pointers per game in 2021-22 hitting 2.1 per contest.  Strong finished fourth in 'The Association' in free throw percentage at 89.5%.
• Ian Lee finished in a tie for ninth last season with 3.1 assists per game.  Lee was tied for fifth in the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio at 1.9.

 
NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• Stevie Strong has scored in double figures in four-consecutive games dating back to last season.
• Khaleem Bennett has opened his NU career with double-digit scoring in each of his first two games.
• NU's 20-point loss to Southwest Minnesota State was their first loss of at least 20 points since dropping an 85-59 decision at Northeastern State February 17, 2022.
• The Navy & Red finished last in the MIAA last year in offense scoring 65.7 ppg.
• NU ended the season 12^th defensively allowing 75.1 ppg.
• 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.

 
AND THEN…
The Jets head down to Texas to face old Heartland Conference rival Dallas Baptist on Saturday.
 
2022-23 MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1:  Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri
 
2022 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches
1.  Northwest Missouri (11) – 167 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (3) – 158 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 137 Points
4.  Washburn – 131 Points
5.  Emporia State – 125 Points
6.  Northeastern State – 100 Points
7.  Missouri Western – 93 Points
8.  Missouri Southern – 85 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 73 Points
T-10.  Pittsburg State – 63 Points
T-10.  Rogers State – 63 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 36 Points
13.  Lincoln – 26 Points
14.  Newman – 17 Points
 
Media
1.  Northwest Missouri (14) – 261 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (4) – 243 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 216 Points
4.  Washburn – 209 Points
5.  Emporia State – 181 Points
6.  Missouri Western – 163 Points
7.  Missouri Southern – 146 Points
8.  Northeastern State – 135 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 112 Points
10.  Pittsburg State – 106 Points
11.  Rogers State – 92 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 67 Points
13.  Newman – 33 Points
14.  Lincoln – 31 Points