FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Newman women's basketball team will open its 2011-12 campaign Wednesday evening with a highly-anticipated exhibition contest against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tip-time for the contest is slated for 7 p.m. inside the 19,200-seat Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.. The game will be broadcast in Wichita on KGSO, 1410 AM.
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.
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 Arkansas...
The Razorbacks, who posted a 22-12 record in 2010-11, return all five starters from last season's squad, including seniors C'eira Rickets (13.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and junior Sarah Watkins (13.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) who started all 34 games a year ago. Watkins has been selected named a Pre-Season All-SEC selection at the forward position. Senior guard Lyndsey Harris (12.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and senior forwards Jamesha Townsend (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and Ashley Daniels (8.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) look to round out a senior-dominated Razorback squad.
Uncharted Territory...
Wednsday's meeting will be the first-ever between the Jets and the Razorbacks, and will be just the third meeting between Newman and an NCAA Div. I basketball opponent since the the Jets joined the NCAA Div. II four years ago. Newman opened the 2009-10 season with back-to-back exhibition contests at North Texas and Wichita State.
Jets on the Air....
Wednesday's contest will be broadcast in the Wichita metro area on KGSO - 1410 AM. After spending the 2010-11 season in the color commentary chair, Jimmy Chavez will take the reigns as the play-by-play voice of the Jets for the 2011-12 season.
