Games 27 & 28:
Newman (2-24, 0-20 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (5-21, 1-19 MIAA)
Thursday, February 24, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  NU Athletics
 
vs. Pittsburg State (15-11, 10-10 MIAA)
Saturday, February 26, 2022 | 1:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  NU Athletics
 
ONE MORE TIME… FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE
The Jets end the season with Homecoming Thursday and Senior Day on Saturday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Rogers State jumped out to a big lead and then poured on the points at the end to secure a 69-56 victory over the Jets while celebrating Homecoming Saturday, February 19 in Claremore.  A 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter gave RSU a 20-11 lead after the first.  The Hillcats grew their advantage as high as 16 in the second before a 9-2 Newman run sliced the deficit to nine at the half.  The Jets grew the run to 18-3 in the third quarter and outscored the Hillcats 18-8 to hold a slim edge going to the fourth.  RSU started the fourth strong with a 12-3 run to take a 51-43 lead with just over seven minutes to play.  The Jets mounted one final push and cut the lead to one with a 10-3 run that ended with just under 5 minutes to play.  From there it was all Cats as RSU scored nine straight as part of a 15-3 run to end the game.  Britney Ho led Newman with a 24 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
The Jets fell earlier in the week 64-57 at Northeastern State.
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
Newman ended last year's pandemic-abbreviated season 4-18 while playing all 22 games within the MIAA.  The Jets return six players from a year ago, including two of their top three scorers from that team.  NU is suiting up one senior this season while welcoming six freshmen to the program.  They are joined by one redshirt freshman, Elise Kaiser, a Hesston product who missed last season with a preseason knee injury.  Rounding out the NU roster are five juniors and two sophomores.  Transferring to join the new coaching staff are former Circle High School Thunderbird Carissa Beck (Butler County), Russell High School product Tiffany Dortland (Barton County), Bishop Carroll Golden Eagle multi-sport star and Wichita native Britney Ho (Northeastern State), and former Goddard Lion Torri Vang (Cowley County).
 
TOP RETURNERS
Sydney Nilles returns at point guard to orchestrate the Jet offense after leading the Navy & Red with 64 assists last season as a freshman against just 58 turnovers.  She's also one of Newman's top returning defenders, logging the second-most steals for the Jets last year with 22 takeaways.  Nilles is NU's leading returning scorer after averaging 6.2 ppg last season.  Nilles is also the Navy & Red's leading returning rebounder after grabbing 2.5 rpg a season ago.  Makayla Hayes is the leading returning 3-point shooter off last year's squad after connecting 15 times on 63 attempts (24%) last season, though Nilles has the highest returning percentage after drilling 13 of 35 to shoot a team-high 37% from the arc last year.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Lincoln is in 13^th place in the MIAA Standings and, like Newman, has been eliminated from MIAA Tournament contention.  The Blue Tigers are trying to build momentum this year following a 2-20 season in 2020-21 that saw LU play all 22 of its games in MIAA league action.  The Blue Tigers are looking to end a stretch of nine-consecutive losing seasons following a 15-13 season in 2011-12.  With a program that dates back to 1981, LU has never had a winning record in conference play and is trying to break a streak of 16-straight losing seasons in league action.  A .500 record would match the program's best conference winning percentage, the most recent of which came in 2004-05 when the Blue Tigers went 6-6 in the Heartland Conference.  Lincoln is seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
The Gorillas are ninth in the MIAA standings and have clinched a berth into the MIAA Tournament.  Pittsburg State finished 14-9 a season ago while posting a 14-8 MIAA record.  Pitt State started slow losing three of their first four, but the Gorillas turned things around with an eight-game winning streak.  The Gorillas' season ended with a 66-50 loss to Nebraska-Kearney in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.  Following the 2020-21 season, the Gorillas have notched 11-straight winning seasons since a 14-14 campaign in 2009-10.  Prior to that season, Pitt State had a losing record in three of the previous four seasons.  A 17-11 mark in the 2019-20 season ended a stretch of six-straight 20-win seasons during which the Gorillas went a combined 148-43.  The Gorillas have posted winning records in MIAA play in 13 straight seasons dating back to a 4-14 MIAA record in the 2007-08 campaign that saw the Gorillas finish 10-17.  The Gorillas are seeking their 12^th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019.  Through non-conference play, Pittsburg State was eighth in the league offensively at 74.2 ppg but third-best defensively allowing just 60.4 ppg.
 
THE SERIES
Newman leads the all-time series 6-5 over the Blue Tigers.  The teams are tied 2-2 in MIAA competition and Lincoln has won back-to-back games against the Jets, the first consecutive wins by Lincoln in the series.  Newman is a perfect 5-0 versus LU inside Fugate Gymnasium.
 
Pittsburg State leads 13-2, 5-0 in NU's NCAA DII era, and 4-0 in MIAA play.  In Newman's MIAA era, the Gorillas lead 1-0 in Wichita.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
NU jumped out to a 14-3 lead but couldn't hold it as a Niyah Jackson layup found the bottom of the basket with 1.6 seconds left to deliver the home team a 51-50 victory in Jefferson City Thursday, January 13.  The Jets led 23-16 at the half but the Blue Tigers trimmed NU's lead to just one at the end of the third.  A Makayla Hayes game-winning 3-pointer lipped out at the buzzer.  Lincoln shot a paltry 19% at the free throw line (3-for-16), but the Jets were outshot from the 3-point line 8-2 with the Jets missing 12 of 14 shots from outside.  Britney Ho led Newman with 16 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
The Pittsburg State offense shredded the Newman zone for 25 first-quarter points and Newman never recovered in an 88-50 defeat December 1, 2021 in both teams' conference opener.  The Gorillas shot a blistering 64% from the field in the first while the Jets hit just 3 of 12 in the frame.  Freshman Laura Bello paced the Jets with 14 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
Newman begins a new era in 2021 as the Jets welcome Drew Johnson and Nicole Ohlde-Johnson to Wichita as the new leaders of Jets Women's Basketball.  The husband-and-wife team didn't have to travel far to Wichita, moving from just minutes up the road after spending four seasons at Bethel College where Drew was the head coach and Nicole was his associate head coach.  Drew Johnson compiled a 64-53 record in North Newton, while going 51-41 in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play.  Under their leadership, the Johnsons helped Bethel to its first ever 20-win season as the Threshers went 20-10 and hosted their first KCAC Tournament game inside Thresher Gym in 8 years.  In their final year at the helm, the Johnson led the Threshers to a 16-10 season while going 16-6 in the KCAC, delivering the program's first ever NAIA National Tournament appearance.
 
The Johnsons bring with them a wealth of basketball experience both on and off the court.  Ohlde-Johnson, a Clay Center, Kan. native, played collegiately at Kansas State University where she was a two-time first-team All-American and departed as the school's all-time leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker.  Ohlde-Johnson was drafted in the first round of the 2004 WNBA draft and played seven years in the league and helped the Phoenix Mercury win the 2009 WNBA title.  After playing in Europe, Ohlde-Johnson founded the Nicole Ohlde Basketball Academy with Drew serving as a player trainer and coach for the club competing on the AAU circuit.
 
Prior to becoming the Bethel head coach, Drew Johnson previously served on the high school girls basketball coaching staff at Valley Center, Derby, and Clay Center High Schools in Kansas.  Johnson is a Wichita native and Friends University graduate.  Johnson was a two-year captain and four-year starter for the Falcons football program and earned All-KCAC honors as a punter.  As part of Ohlde Basketball Academy and Ohlde Elite, the Johnsons coached players that went on to play at all levels of basketball including the Big 12, Big East, Missouri Valley, MIAA, and KCAC.
 
The Johnsons are 0-1 against the Blue Tigers and Gorillas.
 
TRAINING THE TIGERS AND TEACHING THE TROOP
Andrea Mize is in the second year of her tenure rebuilding the Lincoln women's basketball program.  She started the season 2-20 in Jefferson City with all 22 games coming inside the MIAA in 2020-21.  Now in her fourth season as a head coach, Mize's career record at the start of the year was 33-54.  Mize came to Lincoln following two seasons at Central Florida College where she went 31-34 overall, but 19-15 in her last year.  Mize spent three years as an assistant at Martin Methodist College where she helped lead the program to two NAIA Tournament berths.  Mize played for three seasons collegiately at Indiana where she played for WNBA coach Curt Miller.  She is 2-1 in her career against the Jets.
 
Amanda Davied is in her fourth year as head coach at Pittsburg State.  She started the season with a 52-29 record on the bench at her alma mater.  Her Gorillas went 21-9 in her debut season of 2018-19 making the NCAA Tournament and finishing 13-6 in MIAA play.  She is the only coach in Pitt State history to win at least 20 games in her first year on the bench.  Davied is in her 18^th year as a member of the Gorilla coaching staff after spending 14 seasons assisting Lane Lord who departed the position to become head coach at NCAA Division I member Texas Rio Grande Valley.  Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Gorillas have an overall record of 335-189 with Davied on the bench (.639) with six NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the Elite Eight.  The Farlington, Kan., native also enjoyed a standout playing career as a Gorilla scoring 1,299 points to finish as a top 10 scorer in school history.  She also set records for career assists and career free throw percentage and graduated from Pittsburg State in December 2003.  Davied is undefeated in four matchups against Newman.
 
PUTTING IN THE TIME
When Carissa Beck logged 40 minutes in Newman's loss to Northeastern State, she was the first Jet to log at least that many minutes since 2016.  That season, Shaunice Robinson and Bria DeGrate each played at least 40 minutes in a 63-58 defeat in overtime to Rogers State February 20, 2016 in Claremore.  Robinson played a whopping 44 minutes in the game while DeGrate registered 40 minutes.  Beck hasn't slowed down since then, registering 40 minutes against Rogers State, Northwest Missouri, and at Washburn.  Over a four-game stretch from January 8 to January 18, Beck played all but four available minutes for the Jets.  She has logged 34 minutes or more in 14 of NU's last 17 games.  In Newman's games from January 22 to January 30, Beck played all but five available minutes for NU and has played all 40 minutes five times this season, all occurring after Christmas break.  Beck's most recent 40-minute performance was in the Jets loss at home to #22 Nebraska-Kearney.
 
NO MORE FREE STUFF
The Jets will look to be more competitive on the free throw line this week.  Newman has been outscored at the charity stripe four of the last five games.  In addition, opposing teams have been extremely prolific at the foul strip;  four of Newman's last five opponents have scored at least 14 points at the line with two scoring over 21 points off free throws.
 
MADE IN THE MIDWEST
The Jets didn't have to acquire any frequent-flyer miles to arrive on campus.  All 15 Jets hail from the Central Time Zone and represent just three different states.  Nine Jets stayed home in Kansas to play for NU, four made the trip north from Texas, and two came west from Missouri.
 
BRINGING THEIR 'A' GAME

• Junior shooting guard Carissa Beck is eighth in the MIAA in 3-pointers made and ranks ninth in attempts and 3-pointers per game (1.7).
• The Navy & Red start the week fifth in the MIAA in Free-Throw Percentage at 73.8%.

 
NU STATS N' STREAKS

• Coming into this week, NU ranked 14^th in the league in scoring offense in MIAA games at 48 ppg.  Newman is eighth in scoring defense allowing 67.5 ppg in conference play.
• The Jets look to end their 20-game losing streak and a 22-game losing slide in conference play with a victory this week.  The 20-game losing streak is the longest in program history, passing last season's nine-game losing slide.
• Wichita-native Britney Ho scored a career-high 24 points while grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds in Newman's loss at Rogers State.  It is the first double-double for the Navy & Red since Faith Mason-Vestal went for 17 points and 10 rebounds at Lincoln February 25, 2021.  Ho has now scored in double figures in four-straight games.
• Junior guard Tiffany Dortland has scored at least 10 points in three-straight games.
• Beloit, Kan., freshman Lauryn Dubbert matched her career high of five assists in Newman's defeat at Rogers State.
• Senior Makayla Hayes matched a personal best with four assists @ Northeastern State.
• Dortland matched her career best of five assists against Central Oklahoma in Wichita.
• Former Cowley County Community College Tiger Torri Vang scored a career-high eight points in the Jets' loss to #22 Nebraska-Kearney in Wichita.  Vang nailed a personal best two treys in the contest.  The former Goddard Lion played a career-high 31 minutes in the game.
• Dubbert grabbed a career-high three steals against Fort Hays State in Wichita.
• Junior transfer guard Carissa Beck matched a career high of two steals against the #22 Lopers.  She also nailed a personal-best three 3-pointers for the sixth time in the same game.
• Newman's 79-30 defeat against #6 Fort Hays State in Wichita is the Jets' largest defeat in the NCAA Division II era of the program.  NU's second-most lopsided loss also came at the hands of the Tigers earlier this season when the Jets fell at #5 Fort Hays State 90-44 in the Navy & Red's last game of the first semester.  The 30 NU points matched the program low for offense in a game with their 30 scored in a 47-30 loss at Washburn earlier this season.
• Freshman center Laura Bello snared a career-high 12 rebounds in NU's loss to the Lady Hornets in Emporia.
• Dubbert matched her career-high of two 3-pointers at Emporia State.
• Vang pilfered a career-high two steals at Washburn.
• Newman's 30 points in their loss at Washburn were the fewest ever scored by the Jets as an NCAA Division II program.  The previous low was 33 points in a 50-33 defeat against St. Edwards January 8, 2009 and in a 66-33 defeat at Lubbock Christian February 7, 2015.
• Vang grabbed a career-best seven rebounds and matched a personal best with two assists against Northwest Missouri while logging a career high 27 minutes.  Vang also matched a career high of two assists in the same game.
• Bello set a new career high mark with two blocks against Northwest Missouri.
• The Navy & Red's 31 turnovers against Missouri Western were the most since the Jets gave it away 31 times against Incarnate Word on January 30, 2010.  The NCAA-era record for turnovers in a game by the Jets is 36 set in a loss at Emporia State November 19, 2008.
• Newman freshman Alicia Mills scored a career-high five points in NU's loss to the Griffons.
• Dubbert scored a career-high 15 points and a career-best two 3-pointers in NU's loss to Rogers State.  Beck also tallied a new personal best of 13 points in the same game.
• Former Derby Panther Sydney Nilles set a new career high with eight rebounds at Central Missouri.
• Hayes doubled her rebounding career high by controlling 12 boards in NU's loss at Lincoln.  Her previous best of six also came at Jason Gym in Jefferson City last season.  She also matched a career high of two steals for the second time in the same game.
• Ho matched a career high of two steals @ Lincoln.
• NU's 27 turnovers at Central Oklahoma were the most since the Jets turned it over 27 times against St. Mary's in Heartland Conference action February 23, 2017.  In the same game, Bronchos center Kelsey Johnson scored 30 points, the first opponent to score at least that many against the Jets since Kenzi Lamer torched NU for 32 points on 10 of 14 shooting from outside the arc in a 68-66 win for Northwestern Oklahoma State over the Jets in Wichita November 16, 2019.
• Nilles matched a career-high of three steals for the fourth time in NU's loss to Washburn in Wichita.
• Ho scored a career-high 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting in the Jets' home defeat to Emporia State.
• Nilles tallied a career-high eight assists in NU's loss to the Lady Hornets in Wichita.
• Beck nabbed a personal best six rebounds in the Jet's defeat to ESU at Fugate Gymnasium.
• Junior guard Amoni White set back-to-back season highs after scoring eight points at Pittsburg State and then erupting for 15 points against Missouri Southern.  In that same game against Southern, White matched a season-high with four assists.
• Dortland matched her career-high of nine rebounds at Missouri Southern.
• The 68-point victory for the Jets in their 91-23 blowout over Manhattan Christian updated several superlatives for the Jets.  The 68-point margin is the second-biggest win for the Navy & Red behind only NU's 69-point win over the Central College of the Bible in an 87-18 triumph November 14, 2016.  It was the first time the Jets had a win of at least 50 points since beating Randall by 57 in an 80-23 win December 14, 2019.  It was the first time NU scored at least 90 points game since NU had defeated Randall 96-37 January 7, 2019.  The also Jets forced 25 Thunder turnovers in the game, the first time the Jets had turned over a team at least 25 times since forcing 26 turnovers in a win against Lincoln January 4, 2020.
• Redshirt freshman Elise Kaiser scored a career-high 15 points in NU's victory over Manhattan Christian.  It was her first career double-figure scoring game.
• Junior guard Amoni White nabbed a career-high seven steals in NU's win over MCC.  It was the first time the Jets had a player tally at least five steals since Abbey George grabbed five steals in NU's senior day win against Arkansas-Fort Smith March 2, 2019.  The mark was one shy of the NU single-game record of eight in the Division II era set by Kesha Buckner January 8, 2015 when NU defeated Lubbock Christian in Heartland Conference play.
• Vang set a new career high with 4 points in NU's victory against MCC.
• Bello collected her first career double-double by grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with 10 points in a Jet victory over Cottey College.
• Dortland registered a personal best of two blocks against the Comets.
• Bello erupted for a career-high 19 points in just 11 minutes in the Jets' loss to Cameron.
• Dubbert grabbed a personal-best eight rebounds against Mary.
• Dortland set a program record for most points in a Newman Jets debut when she scored 27 in the season-opener against Wayne State College.  The record was previously held by Satoria Bell, who tallied 22 points in her NU debut on November 11, 2011 in a 65-58 win against Emporia State.  It was also the second-most points scored in a home or season-opening game behind only Alexandra Ciabattoni's 30-point outburst to open the 2013-14 campaign in a 66-64 victory against Rockhurst on November 9, 2013.  Ciabattoni went on to receive First Team All-Heartland Conference honors and was named the 2014 Heartland Conference Player of the Year.
• The Jets are vying for their first winning season since 2018-19 when head coach Darin Spence led the Navy & Red to a 21-10 record while finishing second in the Heartland Conference.
• NU also seeks its first 10-win season since 2019-20 when NU finished 11-17 while going 6-13 in its first year in the MIAA.
• Newman looks to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019 when NU ended a six-game postseason losing streak with two wins in the Heartland Conference Tournament.  The Jets lost in the championship game to #25 Lubbock Christian.  The top-seeded Lady Chaparrals went on to win the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship.

 
YOU'RE NEXT!
The Newman women head into the offseason following their games this week.
 
MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1:  Katie Wagner – Fort Hays State
Week 2:  Kelsey Johnson – Central Oklahoma
Week 3:  Kelsey Johnson (2) – Central Oklahoma (2)
Week 4:  Shiloh McCool – Nebraska-Kearney
Week 5:  Shiloh McCool (2) – Nebraska-Kearney (2)
Week 6:  Nija Collier – Central Missouri
Week 7:  Tre'Zure Jobe – Emporia State
Week 8:  Kelsey Johnson (3) – Central Oklahoma (3)
Week 9:  Lacy Stokes – Missouri Southern
Week 10:  Maleeah Langstaff – Northeastern State
Week 11:  Lacy Stokes (2) – Missouri Southern (2)
Week 12:  Lacy Stokes (3) – Missouri Southern (3)
Week 13:  Lacy Stokes (4) – Missouri Southern (4)
Week 14:  Kelsey Johnson (4) – Central Oklahoma (4)