WICHITA, Kan. — Looking to lock up a berth in the Heartland Conference postseason, the Newman women's basketball team embarks on its last weekend roadtrip of the regular season, starting Thursday against Arkansas-Fort Smith before a Saturday afternoon meeting at Rogers State.

SCOUTING NEWMAN

The Jets (10-12, 4-10 Heartland) are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma Christian last Thursday, which was their second straight loss after falling to No. 1 Lubbock Christian. Against the Eagles, Newman rallied back from down five to go up by one point on a pair of Bria DeGrate free throws, but OC went to the line twice in the final 10 seconds, hitting all four free throws to ice the game. DeGrate finished with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

LEADERS

                Shaunice Robinson, Senior-12.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.5 spg, 79.6 FT%

                Natalia Hausmann, Junior-6.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg

                Erica Olerich, Junior-4.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 42.0 FG%

                Bria DeGrate, Freshman-6.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg,, 1.0 apg, 32.6 3FG%

                Cierra Tjaden, Junior-4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 40.0 FG%, 76.2 FT%

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH

The Lions (16-8, 9-6 Heartland) have dropped two straight after a five-game winning streak that vaulted them toward the top of the conference standings. A loss to Lubbock Christian last Thursday was followed by a 67-47 loss at the hands of Oklahoma Panhandle State to finish up a tough roadtrip. Jasmine Brainard averaged 11 points, four rebounds and 2.5 steals over the two games.

                LEADERS

                Jasmine Brainard, Senior-14.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.7 spg, 41.4 FG%

                Ashley Bean, Senior -8.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.2 apg

                Brittany Holbert, Senior -6.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 46.2 FG%

                Candice Followwell, Senior -6.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 spg, 82.7 FT%

                Blandine N'Goran, Senior -5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 81.0 FT%

ROGERS STATE

The Hillcats (12-11,  7-8 Heartland) have dropped four of their past five games overall, including a 10-point loss to St. Mary's and a tough double-overtime defeat at the hands of Texas A&M International. Last week saw RSU top OPSU before falling to Lubbock Christian Saturday. Natasha Kindred posted 16 points and five rebounds against the Aggies, adding a block and three steals.

                LEADERS

                Kami Bunch, Senior-10.0 ppg, 5.2 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.7 spg, 77.8 FT%

                Natasha Kindred, Junior-9.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 49.2 FG%

                Rachel Block, Junior-7.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.6 spg

                Emily Gamble, Senior-5.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 38.5 3FG%

                Lindsey Byfield, Freshman-5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 35.3 3FG%

HISTORY LESSON

UAFS has won three straight, including an 84-68 victory at Fugate Gymnasium a month ago, but that followed a string of six wins in eight games for the Jets. The Lions lead the overall series 8-6, and have a 5-1 edge in Fort Smith. Earlier this season, Hausmann netted 14 points and DeGrate added 13 and three steals in the loss.

RSU topped the Jets for the first time in their first meeting of the year, with Newman now holding a 4-1 advantage all-time. Bunch scored 19 for the Hillcats in a 55-50 win on Jan. 21, while Robinson poured in 22 points, adding five rebounds and four assists for the Jets.

NOTES

-The Jets seal a berth to the Heartland Conference tournament for the fourth time in five years with a win or a loss by Oklahoma Panhandle State.

-Newman has been hot from 3-point range over its last few games, hitting at least a third of their shots from deep in three of its past four. That included a 9-of-23 performance against Lubbock Christian, while the Jets hit 7-of-20 last week against Oklahoma Christian.

-The Lions have a sturdy defense, giving up 62.6 points per game. That's bolstered by the fifth-best 3-point defense in the nation, allowing only 24.7 percent from deep. UAFS also forces steals at a torrid pace, gaining 12.4 swipes per game, which is sixth in the country.

-RSU has allowed points at times, but has done a solid job keeping opponents limited on the offensive end, allowing just 59.0 points per game, which is second in the conference to only LCU. That number goes up slightly to 63.2 in league play, although the Hillcats have allowed teams to surpass that number just three times in the past 10 games.

COVERAGE

Live video and statistics for both Thursday's and Saturday's games will be available at www.newmanjets.com.