RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech men's basketball team played the second of back-to-back games to start their 2025-26 season on Saturday afternoon as part of the GAC/MIAA Crossover Challenge and came out on the downside of an offensive shootout against Newman, falling by a score of 95-87.
Both teams would get to the 50-point mark in the first half and did so on 60% shooting. Newman had 51 points and were 15-of-25 overall from the floor, 8-of-16 from three-point range and 13-of-15 from the free throw line. Tech was one point better with 52 at the break and were 18-of-30 overall from the floor, 6-of-16 from three-point range and 10-of-14 from the free throw line.
During the first half, the Wonder Boys were the team in control for much of the action and by the 11:35 mark, had built up a double-digit lead, 27-17. Just about two minutes later, the lead reached its high point of 17 as the Wonder Boys led 37-20 with 9:27 in the first half.
Newman, however, began to climb back into the game over the second part of the first half and got it as close as a point in the final minute prior to the break.
The lead would change hands quickly in the second half as it flipped five times over the first two and a a half minutes of action. The last of that fury of lead changes went in favor of Newman as a three-pointer at the 17:36 mark gave them a two-point lead, 58-56.
Newman then went on to build up a double-digit lead of their own and matched Tech's largest lead at the 10:24 mark on a three-pointer. A pair of free throws a minute later in the game gave the Jets their largest lead of the game at 19 points, 83-64.
Tech would go to work on trimming that deficit over the remainder of the game and got it into single digits and as close as six points with 1:34 left before Newman finished the game with an eight-point advantage.
Four Wonder Boys scored in double figures in the game with
Donyae May leading the way with 19 points. He was 6-of-10 overall from the floor, 5-of-9 from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
David Elliott IV was next with 18 points. He was 7-of-15 from the floor, 2-of-7 from three and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.
Sam Bradford and
Damon Augustus rounded out double-digit scoring with 13 points each. Bradford was 4-of-9 from the floor, 1-of-4 from three and 4-of-8 from the line. Augustus was 5-of-6 from the floor, 1-of-1 from three and 2-of-4 from the free throw line.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to make their home debut on Thursday, November 20 against nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Tucker Coliseum.
