CHARLESTON GIRLS TAKE PATIENT APPROACH

Charleston girls basketball coach Bev Wright doesn't expect her team to be world-beaters early. But Wright figures if the Lady Blue Jays hang in there, they can ultimately be a solid squad.

The Lady Jays return very little experience from last year's 11-13 team -- among the four seniors lost was Talisha Haynes, the program's all-time leading scorer who is now playing at Moberly Junior College -- so the going could be fairly tough right off the bat.

"We're lacking in experience and we're awfully young," said Wright. "But the girls are really working hard and they have a really good attitude. It's going to take us a little while to get on track, but if they stay with it, I think we'll be all right.

"I just hope they keep working hard and don't get frustrated. They're enthusiastic and if they can hang in there, I think we can end up having a pretty good team."

Charleston technically returns three starters, but two of them were only moved into the starting lineup late in the season when the Lady Jays were decimated by injuries.

Carlota Mims, a 5-foot-7 senior, started virtually the entire year while 5-2 senior Lawana Wiley and 5-5 sophomore Jodi Bledsoe moved into the lineup late.

Wright will also be counting on 5-7 sophomore Ebony Walker, 5-10 junior Sherida Frierson and 5-2 sophomore Tara Hall. Frierson and Hall both saw JV action last year.

Others battling for playing time are 5-4 senior Nekia Suggs, 5-9 senior Patricia Tate, 5-9 junior Amanda Lee and 5-3 sophomore Georgia Wiley. Lee and Wiley each were on last year's JV squad.

The Lady Jays opened the season Monday night at Oran and next Monday they face a road game against perennial power Poplar Bluff.

"We're not real big and we don't have a lot of girls with experience, but I like the attitude of the girls and the way they're willing to work," Wright said. "We just need to keep that attitude and keep working hard and we'll be all right."