WEATHERFORD, Okla.- The Newman women's basketball team will look for its third-straight victory on Thursday, when they travel to Weatherford, Okla. to take on the Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside SWOSU's Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.

The 2011-12 Jets...
Newman will look to continue its sensational start, when they take their stellar defense to Weatherford. The Jets are leading the Heartland Conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 56.1 points per contest. Newman is also leading the conference in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by 11 points per game. The Jets have had huge performances thus far from senior guard Satoria Bell, who had a 37 point outburst in a win at Missouri Southern on Nov. 25. Bell is leading the team in scoring for the season, averaging nearly 22 points per contest, and has twice been named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week. Tasha Cannon is the only other Jet averaging double figures in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game, and is the only other player in the conference to earn Heartland Conference Player of the Week honors. Cannon is averaging nearly a double-double on the season, leading the Jets in rebounds at 9.6 boards per contest. As a team, Newman is shooting 44.4 percent (175-394) from the field, while holding the opposition to just 39 percent from the field, and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Jets are receiving votes in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll. After making their debut with seven votes in the poll last week, Newman received 14 votes in this week's poll.

Last Time Out...
The Jets improved to 6-1 on the season after a 70-51 victory over Evangel (Mo.) at the MSSU Classic in Joplin, Mo.. Tasha Cannon led Newman offensively, scoring 17 points in the winning effort. Satoria Bell and Ariella McGhee joined Cannon in double figures, adding 12 and 11 points respectively. Celeste Key cleaned the glass, leading Newman with eight boards, while Cannon added seven of her own. As a team, Newman shot 44.9 percent (22-49) from the field, and made the most of its opportunities at the charity stripe. The Jets made 21 out of their 27 free throw attempts.

Scouting the Bulldogs...
SWOSU enters Thursday night's matchup at 2-1 after suffering its first defeat of the season . The Bulldogs dropped a 97-89 decision at the hands of Central Oklahoma on November 15 in Edmond. Four Bulldogs finished the night in double-figures, led by Sumiya Darden's 21 point outing. Darcie Dick, Michelle Fisher, and MaRiah Oyler joined Darden in double-figures with 19, 15, and 12 points respectively. Kimmi Sawatzky led SWOSU with six rebounds for the game.

For the season, SWOSU is averaging 87.7 points per game, and is holding its opponents to just 72.7 points per contest. The Bulldogs are lead by Sumiya Darden's 20 point-per-game average. Darden is joined in double-figures by Darcie Dick and MaRiah Oyler, averaging 15.7 and 11 points per game respectively. Darden is also leading the Bulldogs in rebounds, averaging 7.7 boards per contest. SWOSU is shooting 45 percent from the field, and 40 percent from beyond the arc, and have forced 6.7 more turnovers per game then their opponents.

A Series Renewed...
Thursday's contest marks the first time since the 2007-08 season that Newman and SWOSU have met on the basketball court. In their last meeting, the Bulldogs handled the Jets, 70-53 in Wichita, Kan.