Games 8 & 9:
 
vs. Pittsburg State 2-4 (0-2 MIAA)
Thursday, December 7, 2023 | 7:30 PM | Pittsburg, KS (John Lance Arena)
Audio: none| Video: MIAA Network | Stats
 
vs. Missouri Southern 2-6 (0-2 MIAA)
Saturday, December 9, 2023 | 3:30 PM | Joplin, MO (Leggett & Platt Athletic Center)
Audio: none | Video: MIAA Network | Stats
 
Animal Houses
The Jets will travel to take on Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern for the second of three conference weekends before Christmas break.
 
Last Time Out
The Jets won on a ridiculous last second three from freshman Kaeson Fisher-Brown to beat the Central Missouri Mules, 59-58.

The game was very defensive minded, with both teams scoring only 25 points in the first half.

The game was back and forth from the first whistle to the final buzzer. The three from Fisher-Brown was another exciting ending for a home game for Newman, who have had their fair share of exciting ends in Fugate, with the last one being Stevie Strong's three-point play with 4 seconds left against Concordia St. Paul on opening night.
Box Score | Recap
 
Scouting the Squadron
The Jets are 1-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall. The team still has not won consecutive back-to-back games and will look to finally start that streak on the road this weekend.

The Jets currently occupy the eighth-place spot in the conference, which would qualify them for the MIAA tournament if they stay in the top 10. There is a long season ahead still, but it is encouraging to see the Jets in a good spot to start the year.

Stevie Strong, while not putting up numbers like he was at the beginning of the year, is still averaging over 15 points a game. He had 16 points against Lincoln, but just 8 against the Mules.

With his three pointers against Central Missouri, Fisher-Brown's 3-point percentage has gone up to 42.9%. Only Strong has a better percentage from that range with almost 50%.
 
 
Behind Enemy Lines
Both Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern are coming off of poor starts in non-conference and the beginning of conference play.

The Gorillas are currently 2-4, with wins coming over Sioux Falls and McPherson. They did have to take on two of the tougher teams to open up the MIAA season in Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western, but overall, the team is struggling to put points together. The Gorillas have only made 33% of all three pointers attempted and have thus not been able to take charge of many of their contests.

Missouri Southern has gotten off to an even worse start than the Gorillas, going 2-6 through the first month.

The Lions have lost five straight, including losing three straight to GLVC teams in non-conference.

Both were predicted in the preseason poll to finish above Newman, with the Lions tabbed to take fifth place in the MIAA. Both teams sit at the bottom of the MIAA at 0-2.
 
The Series
The Gorillas lead the all time series against the Jets, 11-6. The two teams have met almost every year since 2007, with the only season they did not meet being the 2011-12 season. They are one of if not the most common opponent the program has had since joining Division II. Pitt State has won the last two games against Newman, sweeping the Jets in conference last season.

The Jets are 1-6 against the Lions, with the Lions winning the last six meetings. The only time the Jets have defeated the Lions was in their first ever meeting in overtime.

Upcoming Attractions
The Jets will host the final games of 2023 against Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State on Friday and Sunday next week.