Games 27 & 28:
 
vs. Missouri Western 15-11 (9-11 MIAA)
Thursday, February 28, 2024 | 7:30 PM | Wichita, KS (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio: Jets Audio Network | Video: MIAA Network | Stats
 
vs. Central Oklahoma 19-9 (11-9 MIAA)
Saturday, March 1, 2024 | 3:30 PM | Edmond, OK (Hamilton Field House)
Audio: none | Video: MIAA Network | Stats
 
Final Call
Men's Basketball will host Missouri Western for the final home game of the season and will then complete the 2023-24 schedule at Central Oklahoma on Saturday.
 
In The Presence of Royalty
Thursday marks the annual homecoming game at Newman, with homecoming celebrations coming before the game, where the king and queen will be named at center court.
 
Last Time Out
Leading Rogers State for three fourths of the game, the Jets could not find a win against the Hillcats last Saturday.

Starting the game on an explosive 11-4 run, the Jets looked as if they might run away with the lead early. Points in the paint from Thomas Zevgaras and three point shooting from Latik Murphy gave Newman a dominant lead, as they were one step ahead of the Hillcats. 

Whenever the Hillcats would come within a possession or two, Newman would respond with several big plays to reaffirm their status. Sam Somerhalder was a big part of the dominance as he scored six points in one minute near the end of the first half. 

A momentum shift occurred after halftime, when the Hillcats went on a 13-2 run.

Rogers State took their first lead as they continued to shut Newman down in open play, but it would not last for long as another Zevgaras layup tied the game. 

The two teams would continue to trade the lead, but eventually Rogers State took their biggest lead of the day with just about five minutes remaining. 

A Boston Stanton III tied the game with only fifty seconds remaining, but a quick basket from the Hillcats and trips to the free throw line gave them a late win taken from Newman, 67-63. 

Full Recap | Box Score
 
Behind Enemy Lines
On a five game losing streak, Missouri Western is not the same team that defeated the Jets in January. The Griffons at that time were ranked #25 and had only lost three times. Before the slump began, the Griffons had defeated Northwest Missouri State for the first time in a decade and were even near the top of the conference for a brief period of time.

Starting with a loss to Washburn, it has been a slump no one in the MIAA had been expecting. The team has lost nine out of the last ten in the MIAA, with a win against Nebraska Kearney splitting what could have been a ten-game losing streak.

Even with the bad run of form, the Griffons are still going to Kansas City for the MIAA tournament, currently sitting in ninth place.

Central Oklahoma, another team who has fallen short of high expectations, is coming off some ups and downs despite being close to their twentieth win of the season.

Having qualified for the MIAA tournament a while back, the Bronchos are in an interesting position for seeding purposes. At 11-9, they are two games back of a top four seed, but several teams below them are 9-11 and could be level on record by the weekends end.
 
The Series
The Jets earned their first two ever wins against Missouri Western last season, but lost their first game against the Griffons this season. The Griffons lead the series 4-2, and are 2-1 in Fugate Gymnasium.

The Jets have only beaten Central Oklahoma one time and have dropped the last six to the Bronchos. UCO leads the all time series 8-1.

All Good Things Must Come To An End
The Jets will conclude the 2023-24 campaign in Edmond on Saturday.