The ’08-’09 basketball season at LHS was centered on the undefeated boys’ basketball team. While the boys were striving for perfection, the Lady Pats were rebuilding diligently under the new head coach Lyle Pearson. In the first season under the new coach, they managed a winning record (12-11).

After losing five seniors to graduation, including two seniors, the girls’ team is ready to build upon what worked last season and change what didn’t.

"Coming in with a new coach and a new team gave us the jitters at first but as the season went on we got use to each other and became a team. That’s how we played so well together at the end of the [last] season," senior forward Beckah Herther said. "This year we are building off of that. We are close and that’s what we need to be."

The team returns six varsity players, including leading scorer forward Elise Maresh, assist leader guard Caiti Slattery and defensive standout Carley Chambers. Filling the voids left by graduation are guards junior Joey Bosch and freshman Darby Hugunin, Herther and center junior Chandler Esslinger who is returning after experiencing a season-ending injury early last year. Hugunin is a standout who plays well beyond her years. In the first inner-city game of the season against Roosevelt, Hugunin had 19 of the Lady Pats’ 35 total points.

Despite a lack of height, the girls’ squad is looking to have a strong season.

"We are a well rounded team. On any given night I can see any of our top seven players stepping up and making the difference in the game," Slattery said. "Regardless of who is stepping up and having the big night, every night we look to outwork the other team.

Coach Pearson, who replaced Shawn Bergan as head coach last season, is also looking forward to this season after working out the initial jitters of coaching the girls. Pearson was the head coach of the LHS boys’ basketball team for 18 years.

"I believe there is good reason for optimism this year. We have several girls returning from last year with a lot of experience on the team," Pearson said. "All of them are hardworking individuals that keep striving to improve."

With reason for optimism, the Lady Pats are striving to reach the state tournament.

"I was one-year-old the last time the Lincoln girls’ team qualified for the state tournament," Slattery said. "We all want to be the team that gets there, but we also understand that to do so we will have to work hard day in and day out."

The girls’ team has jumped out to a 3-0 start. They have three more games before Holiday Break, two of which are against fellow South Dakota Sports Writer Association ranked teams.

"Our goal is to keep the pressure on at all times this year," Pearson said. "The girls and I have set our goals for this season and we are looking forward to working our hardest to achieve them."