Women's Basketball | 10/7/2015 1:47:00 PM
WACO, Texas – The Newman women's basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the 2015-16 Heartland Conference women's basketball preseason poll. The poll was determined by the Heartland Conference head basketball coaches and sports information directors.
NU received 71 votes to finish eighth in the poll.
The Jets return three starters from the 2014-15 season.
Kesha Buckner, who was All-Heartland Conference as a junior, returns along with
Cierra Tjaden and
Mali Wright. Leading scorer
Brianna Caldwell is back as well.
Lubbock Christian got 17 of the 20 first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll with 196 votes. UA Fort Smith was picked second with 176 votes and three first-place tallies. The Lady Chaps and Lions shared the Heartland Conference regular season title in 2014-15.
St. Mary's was picked to finish in the third spot with 147 votes. In fourth place was St. Edward's with 144 votes. Texas –Permian Basin totaled 104 votes for fifth place, and Texas A&M International tallied 103 votes for sixth place. In the seventh spot is Oklahoma Christian with 87 votes. Rogers State was picked ninth with 47 votes, and Oklahoma Panhandle State is 10th with 25 votes.
The 2015-16 year marks the first year the Heartland Conference Tournament will be in Tulsa, Okla. The eight-team tournament is at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center from March 3-6.
NU starts the 2015-16 season with an exhibition game at Creighton on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Omaha, Neb. The regular season starts on Nov. 13 at Regis at 7 p.m. in Denver. NU's home opener is Nov. 21 against York College at 1 p.m. at Fugate Gymnasium.
