The 2008-09 Lady Cougars are preparing for their varsity basketball season and gave a preview of things to come when they invited the Lewis Cass Kings for a scrimmage. The Lady Cougars are being led by four seniors - Amber Hughes a 5'6" guard, Lucy Zook a 5'4" guard, Sarah Griffin a 5'8" forward, and Alisha Hedrick a 5'5" guard.

The four 15-minute periods showcased a fiery and fast Lady Cougar team. These ladies look to pickup right where they left off in February.

The beginning period started sluggish with some turnovers by both teams. Carroll was able to get the game under control before the Kings and jumped to an early 10-2 lead. All 10 points were delivered by sophomore Jess Yoder. Once both teams settled down, the remainder of the period was controlled by the Cougars. Contributing rebounds, steals, assists and points are two sophomores - Jess Yoder, a 5'7" guard and Quinci Eller, a 5'7" guard. Eller is coming off a freshman campaign that earned her Small-School All- Area first team.

The three remaining periods featured most of the same type basketball. The larger Lady Kings wanted to slow the pace and run their half-court sets. The Lady Cougars rebounded and ran the floor with excellent success. Coach McCroskey utilized his entire bench during all four periods with production coming from all 10 players.

The juniors on this team include Jill Griffin a 5'8" forward, Abby Reinke a 5'7" guard and Carly Yoder a 5'7" forward. Rounding out this squad is freshman Kate Hickner, a 5'5" guard.

This team features speed and aggressiveness. They get up and down the floor quickly with passes and dribbles while looking for the easy lay-ups. They are aggressive on the defensive end and in rebounding missed shots both offensively and defensively. They will probably struggle winning the rebounding statistics against larger opponents. Undoubtedly, they will win games with their aggressive offense and defensive pressure. They will be fun to watch.

The numbers for this seasons roster are slightly better than last year with 15 ladies out for the team. The remaining players include sophomore Maria Lewis and freshmen Katelynn Aldredge, Paige Barnes, Paige Cook and Amy Schneib.

The home opener for the Cougar ladies will be Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Western.