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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Jake Walker
Corbey R. Dorsey
61
Neb.-Kearney UNK 1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
64
Winner Newman Newman 1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Neb.-Kearney UNK
1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
61
Final
64
Newman Newman
1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 29 32 61
Newman Newman 26 38 64

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Last Minute Surge Lifts Jets, 64-61

Kearney, Neb. – The Newman Jets scored six points in the final 46 seconds, including a three-point play by junior guard Joel Boyce, to get past Nebraska-Kearney, 64-61, Thursday night in Wichita.

With the late burst, the Jets (1-3) avenge a last second loss to the Lopers (1-3) a year ago in Fugate Gym 

In a back-and-forth game with a series of runs by each team, UNK saw Alliance senior forward Austin Luger get red hot late. He helped the Lopers rally from a four-point deficit by scoring 12 over the final 5:53. His fifth offensive rebound of the night led to a made free throw with 1:09 left, making it 61-58.

Newman, who struggled at times against a 2-3 zone, was just 4 of 14 from behind the arc but its last make came from well beyond the top of the key and tied things at 61 with 46 seconds left. Bronx native Branden Bunn sunk the bomb; he finished 3 of 4 from long range.

The Jets then forced UNK into a tough shot as a contested left wing three hit iron at the 16 second mark. After advancing the ball and calling a timeout, Newman threw the ball into the backcourt but a drive to the hoop found a cutting Boyce who converted a layup while being fouled. UNK didn't get a shot off in the final 1.6 seconds.

"There were so many plays that could've been made in the first half that would've taken a lot of pressure off of us. But we just didn't make them," UNK head coach Kevin Lofton said on the KRVN postgame show. "Credit to them. They've been in three games like this and they lost the previous two. They found a way to pull this one out."

Boyce, who hails from Guyana, tallied a team-best 20 points on 7 of 8 field goal and 6 of 7 free throw shooting. He also had a team-best seven boards in 31 minutes. Bunn (11) was the only other Jet in double digits but eight others scored. In a game with nine lead changes and nine ties, Newman was plus five on the glass and got 21 points off the bench.

"We missed three (easy layups) in the first half and in the second half we had opportunities. Plays were called and we just didn't execute them," Lofton said. "On the last possession we wanted to get Austin on a backscreen to a post up. We just didn't get into the play soon enough and they were able to guard it."

Luger finished with his second career double double (14 & 10) with Utah senior guard Jake Walker again haunting the Jets. He finished with a team-high 18 points thanks to six made shots; he went for a career-best 25 points in a home win vs. NU last winter. Also for UNK, Texas senior reserve guard RJ Pair had 10 points, five assists and three steals in 29 minutes.

The Lopers head to Central Oklahoma (0-3) on Saturday evening. The Bronchos game vs. Fort Hays State tonight was postponed until January 2.
 
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