After a district semifinal loss sent their 2023-24 record a whisker away from a .500 season, the Silex Lady Owls are hoping to take the next step this season.

With five returning seniors and 10 letterwinners, coach Ben Painter has plenty of experienced players, despite the graduation of their top scorer, Abigail Mooney.

The senior class is led by guard Kenzee James who scored 4.4 points per game while averaging two assists, two steals and two rebounds per game last year. She is jointed in the backcourt by classmate McKenna Claborn (1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game). Up front, Maci Mooney (2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game) and Cecilia Sutherland (4 points, 3 r ebounds per game) return to their forward positions. Claire Kinion returns for her senior year to add depth to the power forward position after missing last year with an injury.

Junior Austyn Van Horn is the team’s top returning scorer with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game from the center position a year ago.

And with 10 returning letterwinners, Painter knows in his first year he’ll be able to count on that depth as he wants his defense to be a strength this season.

“Our strengths this year will be our defense and creating turnovers,” he said. We will also be good in transitioning from defense to offense and running the floor well.”

Painter is also pretty specific when it comes to goals for the season, which includes a winning conference record, playing for a tournament championship and winning some games at districts.

“I think we stack up well with every team that we will face,” he said. “With the amount of returning varsity experience that we have we should be able to win or stay competitive in every game that we play this year.”