WICHITA- The Newman women's basketball team will play its final game of the 2010 calendar year Thursday evening, as they travel to St. Joseph, Mo., to take on the Missouri Western Griffons. Tip-time is slated for 7 p.m. inside MWSU Fieldhouse.
About the Jets...
Newman is off to an 8-4 start this season, and has won three of its last five games after back-to-back wins over NAIA foes Ottawa (83-55) and Southwestern (82-65). The Jets opened the season with wins in five of their first six contests, defeating Lone Star opponents East Central (72-57), Cameron (75-70), Catholic arch rival Rockhurst (67-50), and in-state rival Fort Hays State (66-52) in the process. Newman's only loss in that stretch was an 83-71 road loss at Pittsburg State on Nov. 16.
The Jets are led by
Philicia Kelly, a 5-9 junior transfer from Labette Community College who is averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game after a 22-point, four-rebound outing in Newman's 82-65 win over Southwestern on Dec. 17 in Wichita.
Rhea Codio, a transfer guard from the University of Kansas, scores 13.1 points and dishes out 3.9 assists per game for the Jets as the team's point guard, while
Tasha Cannon can be counted on for 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the paint. Cannon posted a career-high 23 points and 17 rebounds in the Dec. 17 win over Southwestern.
As a team, the Jets have held their opponents to a .384 collective field goal percentage, and out-rebound opposing teams by a 40.0-34.3 margin.
Scouting Missouri Western...
The Griffons bring a 5-3 record into Thursday's contest, and are coming off a 60-41 drubbing of fourth-ranked Washburn on Dec. 19 in St. Joe. Missouri Western is a perfect 5-0 in games played on their home court, winning those games by an average of 18.8 points. The likes of NAIA Benedictine, Rockhurst, Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State, and No. 4 Washburn have all fallen at MWSU Fieldhouse this season.
Jessica Koch has emerged as Western's leading scorer this season. The 5-11 redshirt junior forward is averaging 16.6 points per game through eight games in the 2010-11 season. Brenna Saline, a 5-8 junior guard who transfered to MWSU from Southern Illinois University, is averaging a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game in her second season with the Griffons.
The Series....
This will be the third meeting between the Jets and the Griffons. Missouri Western has won each of the previous two meetings, opening the series with a 98-45 win over the Jets on Dec. 6, 2004 in St. Joseph, then picking up a 57-45 win over Newman last season on Dec. 14, 2009 inside Fugate Gymnasium..
