Newman Downs Bethel For Second-Straight Win, 88-72

WICHITA - Four of Newman's starting five posted double figure scoring totals as the Newman men's basketball team won its second-straight game with an 88-72 decision over Bethel Monday evening inside Newman's Fugate Gymnasium. Chip Steven led the way with 16 points and five assists in the contest.

Newman (4-4) opened the game scoring three points at a time. After winning the tip, the Jets put themselves on the board first with a three-pointer from Chip Steven. After exchanging empty possessions, William Burdette added two treys that sandwiched an Eric Saunders lay-up. Justin Berry's lay-up on Newman's next possession gave the Jets a 13-4 advantage and forced Bethel (0-7) head coach Mark Yoder to use his first timeout at the 16:04 mark. The visiting Threshers responded to Yoder's time-out with an 8-3 run, and crawled back to within four, 16-12, after a three by John Watson III, but a pair of Tommy Brumbelow free throws followed by a Tyler Nordman trey pushed the Newman edge back to nine, 21-12, with 13:56 still to play. Nordman's bucket promptly sparked a 27-6 run, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play from Kyle Grant that gave the Jets their first 20-point cushion of the night, 38-18, with 8:51 remaining in the opening frame.

Bethel answered Newman's charge with an 11-2 spurt that pulled the Threshers back to within 11 yet again with 5:01 to play but Newman refused to let Bethel get any closer. Five minutes later, Newman held a 51-37 lead going into halftime.

Neither team seemed too interested in playing defense to start the second half. After exchanging buckets on their first two possessions, the two teams combined for misses on their next four possessions, but another Burdette three started a string of eight-straight possessions that resulted in points for each team. By the 14:26 mark, Bethel had snuck back to within 10, 62-52, after a Chip Schneider three-pointer. A Mason Felter jumper on Newman's next possession started a 7-2 run that allowed Newman to regain a 15-point edge after a Nordman trey with 11:25 to play. The Jets never led by less than from that point forward until a Matt Regier lay-up pulled the Threshers back to within 10, 75-65, with 5:49 remaining, but Newman scored the next eight points to push the lead back to 18, 83-65, by the 4:05 mark. From there, the Jets cruised to the 88-72 win.

Chip Steven led all Newman scorers with 16 points thanks in part to a four-for-seven effort from long range. The senior guard also tied with Eric Saunders for a team-high five assists in the contest. Keaton Schultz was right behind Steven with 14 points, while Justin Berry added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. William Burdette and Tyler Nordman each finished with 11 points to round out Newman's double-digit scorers.

Chip Schneider led the Threshers with a 19-point, eight-rebound effort for Bethel, who will not be charged with a loss since Monday's game was declared an exhibition for BC prior to the beginning of the season.

With the win, Newman improves to 4-4 on the season. They will enjoy a week-long break before hosting Tabor in a 7:30 p.m. contest on Dec. 6 inside Fugate Gymnasium.

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