KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Freshman
Melanie Brockleman posted a double-double in the first regular season game of her collegiate career, but it wasn't enough to lift Newman past Rockhurst in a 59-42 loss Sunday afternoon in Kansas city, Mo.
Newman (0-1) scored first when
Monique Pitts' steal found
Nikita Norwood open for a lay-up that gave the Jets a 2-0 lead. Rockhurst (1-0) answered on the next two possessions to take a 5-2 lead, and never looked back. After exchanging baskets for a few possessions, the Hawks put together a 21-7 run, including 10-straight points, to take a 15-point lead, 26-11, by the 6:39 mark. The Jets responded with a 12-6 run to cap the first half, and trailed by just nine at the break, 32-23.
Rockhurst scored the first seven points of the second frame, taking a 39-23 lead less than three minutes into the final 20 minutes. The Hawks extended their lead to as many as 18 by the 14:49 mark, and earned their largest lead of the game at 59-39 inside of the final three minutes. Freshman
Luana Meadows sank a late three, but the Hawks were able to walk away with the 59-42 win.
Brockleman's 18-point, 11-rebound double-double led all scorers and rebounders in the game. The freshman was the only Jet to post double figures in any category. She also added four steals in a losing effort.
As a team, Newman hit 14 of its 49 shots from the field for a 28.6 shooting percentage. The Jets hit four three-pointers, but converted just 10 of 20 attempts from the charity stripe.
With the loss, the Jets open their 2009-10 campaign with an 0-1 record. They will return to action in their first home game of the season when they host Lone Star Conference rival Cameron Tuesday night. Tip-off in Fugate Gymnasium is slated for 6 p.m.
-Newman University-