By Jacob Brown, Staff Writer
Homecoming happened a week ago, and when it was over, Newman had one basketball win, one basketball near-win and two new royals.
It all happened on the evening of Feb. 26, with the men’s and women's basketball teams hosting Northwest Missouri State. The women’s team won its game 57-54, and the men got close to victory, losing by just three points.
As the night got started, the gym was filled with cheering students enjoying free food. Faculty members and coaches were also there, socializing on the track above the stands.
Valeriya Lioukina, a senior forward for the Jets, led the charge during the women’s game, scoring a career-high 20 points with 13 rebounds.
“Winning felt amazing, and it was one of the best nights for me and my team,” she said. “We put everything we had on the floor.”
Lioukina was helped by senior Paige Craft, who had 13 points, and Alexis Martin, who had 10. Delainey Wylie, a junior, led the charge defensively with six blocks, tying for the most blocks in a game, a record that was set in 2014.
The men's team came up just short during its game, losing 68-65. The team had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but Jacob Joe’s three-point attempt was off the mark. The Jets were led by Cyrus Shaw, a 6-foot-3-inch sophomore guard, who put up 19 points and four rebounds.
He was helped by senior Sam Somerhalder, who had 14 points, and Joe, who had 13 points. Both Somerhalder and Joe also put up six rebounds. Junior Terrell Wright had 10 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, He contributed to shifts in momentum for the Jets throughout the game, making notable plays on both the defensive and offensive sides.
At halftime of the men’s contest, Lioukina and senior wrestler Colby Schreiner were named homecoming king and queen.
Lioukina said she did not at all expect to win the crown.
“I was happy and overwhelmed with emotions, probably one of the best memories I’ve had at Newman,” she said.
Schreiner said that he was grateful to be chosen, adding that he is thankful for all the opportunities he’s been afforded at Newman. His twin sister, Alex Schreiner, a senior softball player, was also a homecoming queen nominee.
The two are competitive and often joke around about who the better Schreiner is, Colby said. But he won this time.
“She’s better than me at a lot of things,” he said.
PHOTO: Dannicka McGrath, Photo Editor
