 The Bemidji Girls basketball team had a bit of a down season last year, finishing 9 and 18, but the team returned several players who played significant minutes and some additional firepower that will be back in the lineup. It's always an exciting time to begin a new season, but it's even more exciting when you missed last year with an injury, like senior rumor Flatness did after she tore her ACL. It feels amazing and it's just so great to be back out on the floor with all my friends and all my teammates and we've been having some really good practices. Her injury meant more minutes and opportunities for other players, which helped them improve their skills. I think it allowed all of us to develop a little bit without her so we don't have to lean all of us on her. Head coach Steve Schreiber says what he missed most last year from the BSU Bound Guard was her basketball IQ. Her ability to make sure we're in the right offense and we're in the right defense and to kind of pick out different tendencies from the other team, it's almost like having a coach on the court. Schreiber is entering his third season with the team and they say that they've been able to hit the ground running. We definitely all just developed a relationship with Schreiber and just spending summers with him in the gym, lots of hours and we definitely just know how to communicate with each other so that's going to make a big difference this year too. The team's strengths are its athleticism and its versatility as they're able to beat you in multiple ways. We're going to play fast, we'll be up and down the court, that's my style anyways and these girls really fit well with that style. And really in your face defense pressing up and down our goal is to outrun the other team so we're transition pushing the pace. And despite their record last year, the Jax won't be complacent with just an average season. We have lofty goals this year, we really do. I think we're one of the top teams in our section and I think we'll compete with anybody in our section, we want to compete with the best in the state and I feel like this group has the ability to do that. The midge opens the season in just five days when they travel to Thief River Falls. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.