Warrensburg, Mo. (Nov. 24, 1999) -- The basketball Jennies of Central Missouri State University will hit the road for the first time this season as they head south of the border to Cancun, Mexico, to take part in the Torneo Cancun de Basquetbol (Cancun Basketball Tournament) on Nov. 26-28.

The Jennies will play the University of Southern Colorado in opening-round action on Friday at 5:30 p.m. (CST), then will come back on Sunday to face either Bemidji State University or Middlebury College in either the championship (7:30 p.m.) or consolation (5:30) game. Bemidji State and Middlebury square off in the other first-round game on Saturday.

After finishing second in their own University Inn Jennies Classic, the Jennies will enter the tournament with a 1-1 record. They beat Grand Canyon University 90-56 in the first round on Nov. 19, but fell 79-72 to the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the title game.

Southern Colorado will also put a 1-1 mark on the line Friday as the Thunderwolves split a pair of games in their own Al Kaly Shrine Classic in Pueblo. USC beat Colorado College 80-35 in the first round on Nov. 19, but lost to Eastern New Mexico University 56-44 on Nov. 20. The Thunderwolves were 6-20 last season.

Bemidji State is 1-0 after opening the season on Nov. 20 with a 95-66 victory at home over Morningside College. The Beavers were 10-17 a year ago. Middlebury, an NCAA Division III school, is also 1-0 after posting a 65-47 win at home over New England College on Tuesday. The Panthers were 15-10 last season.

Following their trip to Cancun, the Jennies return home to host Friends University on Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. The contest will be the first game of a doubleheader at the CMSU Multipurpose Building as the CMSU Mules also host Bellevue University at 7:30 p.m.

In their win over Grand Canyon, the Jennies had six players score in double-figures, led by guard Molly Knobbe (So., Cimarron, Kan., CHS) with a career-high 16 points. Guard-forward Marlies Ozias (Jr., Centerview, Mo., Crest Ridge H.S.) was next with 12 points, while forward Michelle Fouse (So., Kansas City, Kan., Schlagle H.S.), forward-center Callie Newton (Fr., Republic, Mo., RHS), guard Lori Nichols (So., Nevada, Mo., NHS) and forward Kelly Sutton (Jr., St. Louis, Mo., Parkway South H.S./Univ. of Evansville) all tallied 11.

Against Nebraska-Omaha, the Jennies were led by Newton with 17 points, while Ozias had 14 and center Katie Vaske [So., Bancroft, Iowa, Bishop Garrigan H.S. (Algona, Iowa)] scored 13. Newton and Ozias both were named to the all-tourney team. They were joined on the elite squad by tournament MVP Sarah Larson and Darcy Stracke of UNO, Veronica Gonzales of Grand Canyon and Janice Modeste of Lincoln University.

1999 University Inn Jennies Classic Summary

Fri., Nov. 19 Results

Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha 72, Lincoln University [Mo.] 57

Central Missouri State University 90, Grand Canyon University 56

Sat., Nov. 20 Results

Grand Canyon University 77, Lincoln University [Mo.] 56 (3rd place)

Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha 79, Central Missouri State Univ. 72 (1st place)

All-Tournament Team

Sarah Larson, Nebraska-Omaha - MVP

Veronica Gonzales, Grand Canyon

Janice Modeste, Lincoln University

Callie Newton, Central Missouri

Marlies Ozias, Central Missouri

Darcy Stracke, Nebraska-Omaha