WICHITA, Kan. - The Newman women's basketball team will open it's 2011-12 regular season campaign Friday evening with a highly-anticipated contest against the Emporia State Hornets. Tip-time for the contest is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita, Kan..

Meet the Jets...
Newman returns six players off a 2010-11 squad that won the school's first-ever Heartland Conference regular season championship, and finished with a 19-8 record on the season and a 9-1 mark against Heartland Conference opponents. Newman's first-ever women's basketball post-season run was cut short when fourth-seeded St. Edward's knocked the Jets out of the Heartland Conference Championship tournament with a 77-58 semi-final win. The Jets were delt a 63-35 loss Nov. 2 at Arkansas in their lone exhibition match up of the season and look to rebound against a tough Emporia State squad. Junior Alex Adekunle led the Newman offense against the Razorbacks with 10 points before fouling out in the second half while eight other Jets scored in the game.

Tasha Cannon carried the Jets through much of the 2010-11 season. The junior averaged 15.0 points per game, and shot at a .561 clip from beyond the arc. She was recognized for her efforts by being named the Heartland Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Cannon will be joined in the Newman starting line-up by fellow returner Samantha Soyez (3.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), and three NCAA Div. 1 transfers. Anna Sonka (Toledo), Satoria Bell (Temple) and Alina Voronenko (Kansas State) will round out the Jets projected starting five in the contest.

Scouting Emporia State...
The Hornets, who posted a 20-9 record in 2010-11, enter the season ranked second in the MIAA preseason coaches and media poll, return three starters from last season's squad. Juniors Rachel Hanf (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Jocelyn Cummings (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) started all 29 games a year ago and sophomore Kelsey Balcom (11.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg) highlight the ESU starting lineup. The Hornets have added Wichita State senior transfer Heather Robben and freshman Marissa Quick to their starting lineup. Robben started seven games and played in 32 for the Shockers last season and was a two-time NJ­CAA All-American at Hutchinson CC. In high school Quick (19.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg) earned first-team All-Kansas honors while leading the Cheney Cardinals to a 52 game winning streak.

Lucky Number 13??...
Friday's meeting will be the 13th meeting between the Jets and the Hornets, and will be just the third time the Hornets have traveled to Wichita for the match up. Emporia State holds a 12-0 all-time record against Newman, averaging 89.5 points per game against the Jet defense while the Newman offense has averaged just 45.4 points per game against the Hornets.