PITTSBURG -- Iziah James scored a career high 24 points to help spark the Pittsburg State University men's basketball team to a 71-66 victory over Newman University in the MIAA opener for both squads Wednesday (Dec. 1) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

The Gorillas (2-5, 1-0 MIAA) twice trailed by eight points in the second half before rallying down the stretch. James hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:00 to play in the game, giving Pitt State a 67-64 edge against the Jets (3-3, 0-1 MIAA) at the time.

Tyler Hawkins added 12 points for the Gorillas, whiile Dejon Waters and Ryan Pippins chipped in with nine points apiece. James made 10 of 17 shots from the floor to help Pitt State shot 48.1 percent (26-54) from the floor in the game.

Israel Barnes finished with a team-leading 21 points for Newman, while David Javorsky added 10 points and a game high nine rebounds.

The Gorillas will return to action Saturday (Dec. 14) when they host the University of Central Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m. (CST).