JOPLIN, Mo.- The Newman Women's basketball team will look to rebound from their first defeat of the season when they head to Joplin, Mo. to participate in the MSSU Pizza Hut/Fairlfield Inn Classic. The Jets were handed their first loss of the season against the No. 6 team in the country in Wayne State on Tuesday, 76-67. Newman will be playing two games in the tournament. On Friday, they will be taking on Missouri Southern. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. On Saturday, the Jets will play Evangel (Mo.), and tip-time for that game is at 1 p.m.

Meet the Jets...

Newman has started fast in the 2011-12 season, as they look to repeat as Heartland Conference Champions. The Jets are averaging 66 points per contest, while shooting 44 percent from the field (126-285), and 34 percent from behind the arc (20-59). Satoria Bell is leading the Jets in scoring, averaging nearly 21 points per game. Tasha Cannon is averaging a double-double on the season, scoring 14 points per game, while bringing down 10 boards per contest. The Jets are out-rebounding opponents by an average of seven rebounds per game.

Last Time Out...

The Jets suffered their first defeat of the season, when they dropped a game on the road against No. 6 Wayne State 76-67. Satoria Bell led the charge with 22 points, while Kianna Flannigan added 20 points off the bench. The Jets shot 42 percent from the field (27-64), and 60 percent (9-15) from long-range. Newman out-rebounded Wayne State 35-32 for the night.

Scouting Missouri Southern...

Missouri Southern comes into the tournament with a record of 4-2, and is coming off of a 68-46 victory over Evangel (Mo) on Monday night. The Lions are lead in scoring by Erin Rice, who is averaging 12 points per game. Also in double figures for Missouri Southern is Kelby Fritz, who is averaing 11.5 points per contest. Rice is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging just shy of six rebounds per game.

Scouting Evangel (Mo.)

Evangel comes into Friday's tournament with a record of 1-3. The Crusaders are coming off a defeat at the hands of the University of Arts & Sciences Oklahoma. Evangel is lead by Jaimee Shields, who is averaging nearly 11 points per contest. Shields is also the team's leading rebounder at nearly five rebounds per game.