EMPORIA STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS 75-71 TO NEWMAN

January 22, 2020-In a game that saw plenty of runs Emporia State could not overcome a 13-0 second half run by Newman in a 75-71 win by the Jets.
 
Newman led 6-3 when freshmen Keyon Thomas and Mason Thiessen ignited a 12-2 run as the Hornets took a 15-8 lead with 12:31 left.  The Jets answered with a 12-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 20-15 with 7:55 left in the half.  Thomas scored 12 of the final 14 Hornet points in the half as Emporia State took a 29-27 lead into the locker room.
 
After Juwan Davenport scored the first points of the second half for Newman, Emporia State went on a 10-3 run as freshman Gage McGuire gave the Hornets a 39-32 lead on a fast break three-pointer with 17:53 remaining. Thomas hit a three-pointer to give Emporia State their biggest lead of the night 45-36 with 15:18 left and forced a Newman timeout.
 
The Hornets still led 50-42 with 12:47 left when the Jets went on the biggest run of the night.  Newman scored 13 straight points over the next 5:12 to take a 55-50 lead. Zac Owens scored on an old fashioned three-point play to break the run, only to see Davenport answer with an and-one of his own to push the lead back to five points at 58-53 with 6:48 left. 
 
An 8-2 run capped by a Duncan Fort layup with 3:43 gave the Hornets a 61-60 lead. Newman regained the lead on a David Javorsky three-pointer on the next possession and Davenport hit two free throws with 2:33 left to make it a two possession game at 65-61.  Fort scored inside with 2:14 left to pull Emporia State within two points. 
 
With a little over a minute left McGuire blocked a Davenport layup and Thiessen grabbed the rebound for the Hornets.  Omar Boone picked off an errant pass by Fort and took it coast to coast to give the Jets a 67-73 lead.  Newman would then hit eight straight free throws in the final 31 seconds to keep the Hornets at arm's length despite Thomas scoring eight points in 24 seconds for Emporia State.
 
Keyon Thomas led all scorers with 30 points and dished five assists.  Duncan Fort had 15 points and eight rebounds while Mason Thiessen scored ten points with six rebounds and four blocked shots for Emporia State.
 
The Hornets are back in action on Sunday, January 26 when they play host to Central Oklahoma.  Tip-off from White Auditorium is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
With his 30 points Keyon Thomas passed Raymond Briggs (201 points in 1999-2000) and Jarrod Doonan (213 points in 1998-99) to move into ninth in freshman scoring at Emporia State with 219 points.