WICHITA - The Newman women's basketball will return home to take on the Texas-Permian Basin Falcons in a 5:30 p.m. contest Thursday evening inside Fugate Gymnasium. The home game will be Newman's first in 33 days.
About the Jets...
Newman brings an 11-6 record into Thursday's game after picking up a 62-53 decison over St. Mary's Saturday afternoon in San Antonio, Texas. 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 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game after a 27-point, 4-rebound outing at TAMIU last Thursday in Laredo, Texas.
Rhea Codio, a transfer guard from the University of Kansas, scores 12.9 points and dishes out 3.5 assists per game for the Jets as the team's point guard, while
Tasha Cannon can be counted on for 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the paint.
As a team, the Jets have held their opponents to a .383 collective field goal percentage, and out-rebound opposing teams by a 39.5-33.2 margin.
Scouting Texas-Permian Basin...
The Falcons bring a 12-5 overall record, and a 1-1 mark in Heartland Conference play into Thursday's contest. UTPB is coming off a 77-70 loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday in Odessa, and has lost their last two games. Their only countable Heartland Conference loss came in an 86-85 overtime loss to St. Mary's on Jan. 8 in San Antonio.
Tammy Acosta has emerged as the Falcons' leading scorer this season. The 5-4 junior guard is averaging 16.1 points and 3.9 assists per game through 17 games in the 2010-11 season. She is one of three Falcons averaging double-figures this season. Miesha Blackshear, a 5-7 senior guard/forward combo player is good for 14.9 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game, while Teisha King, a 5-8 sophomore combo player averages 14.5 points for the Falcons, who average 89.1 points per game as a team. .
As a team, the Falcons shoot .410 from the floor, .319 from long range, and .695 from the charity stripe, and average 16.6 steals per game.
The Series....
This will be the sixth meeting between the Jets and the Falcons. UTPB holds a 4-2 series lead, and has won the last two meetings after sweeping Newman during the 2009-10 season. Newman's last win came on Feb. 21, 2009 in Wichita, when the Jets sent the Falcons back to Odessa with a 50-43 loss.
The Last Time These Two Met....
Texas-Permian Basin forced 20 Newman turnovers, and held the Jets to a .333 (14-42) shooting effort from the field as the Falcons picked up a 53-36 win over the Jets in the 2009-10 season finale.
Nikita Norwood and
Rainey Nickel each scored nine points to lead the Jets, while Miesha Blackshear scored 15 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the Falcons.
