McDonald County's girls return to action Monday on the road against Carl Junction.
Coach Sean Crane's team has been off for the holidays since a 54-34 loss to Webb City in the seventh-place game of the Lady Mustang Classic on Dec. 15.
"Practices have been going well," Crane said.
The primary focus, Crane said, is on defense and "just getting better."
McDonald County has only one senior (Addy Leach) and is off to a 1-9 start. Junior forward Samara Smith, named to the all-tournament team in the Lady Mustang Classic, is an excellent scorer. Leach is a physical performer who can score, rebound and defend well in the paint area.
Guards Carlee Cooper and Reagan Myrick have shown promise in running the offense.
The development of the youngsters on the roster looms large as McDonald County aims to make strides and add to the victory column. The Lady Mustangs have eight sophomores.
"A key thing with all of us is consistency," Crane said earlier this season. "The thing is, we're having a lot of learning experiences. We've got to have some success with our learning experiences."
Carl Junction (7-3) looks to be a formidable foe. The Bulldogs finished second in the Lady Mustang Classic, falling to Bentonville West, 57-45, in the tournament championship game.