Taking a look back: Girls? hoops

With fall sports at a close for all the area schools, it?s time to start looking forward to the winter sports season, and first on the docket is girls? basketball.

Multiple new head coaches (at Washington, Keota and IMS) took the helm in 2015-16, and Washington County saw one of its area teams qualify for the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Take a quick glance and refresh yourself on what happened in 2015-16.

Washington

2015-16 record: 10-11

Season recap: It was a slower start to the Washington girls? basketball season last year, but when the calendar switched over to 2016, the Demons switched gears.

The Demons opened up the 2016 portion of their year by winning four of their first five games, going 8-6 in the latter half of the season, including four wins against conference opponents.

The 10-11 record was a four-win improvement from the previous season, and something the Demons hope to build on in 2016-17.

Key losses: Many of Washington?s personnel losses from last year came in the post, with the three Washington bigs graduating in May.

Addie Pacha (9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds per game, 23 blocks), Brynna DeLong (6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds per game) and McKayla Miller (3.4 points, 3.4 rebounds per game) were key parts of the Washington post presence, and all three have since moved on from Washington.

The Demons also lost a pair of strong senior guards, with Amber Salow (9.6 points, 2.3 assists per game) and Morgan Kimball who averaged 7.1 points and 2.4 steals per game before suffering a season-ending injury.

Key returners: Highlighting the returners, on paper, is junior guard Sarah Nacos, who led the team in scoring last season.

Nacos averaged 9.8 points per game in her sophore season, leading the team in 3-pointers and steals.

The Demons will also turn to their lone senior Taylor Dicks to make an impact, with juniors Brooke Stout and Morgan Brinning also returning to help lead the team.

First contest: at Eddyville-Blakesburg, Nov. 21

Mid-Prairie

2015-16 record: 16-9

Season recap: The season ended where the Golden Hawks were wanting to be, qualifying for the 2016 state tournament.

This year, they will look to return without three of their senior contributors.

Last season saw Mid-Prairie get off to a fast start, winning five of their first seven contests, but a midseason lull had the Golden Hawks stumble through January.

After a decisive 58-33 victory over West Liberty on Feb. 2, the Golden Hawks won seven straight games, including the postseason, qualifying for the state tournament, before falling in the quarterfinals to Center Point-Urbana 48-43.

Key losses: Of the three seniors Mid-Prairie loses, Alex Rath will be one of the hardest to replace. In her final season, Rath notched 10.3 points per game, while leading the team with nearly 3 assists per game.

The Hawks also lose senor Emily Cayton, who averaged 2.7 assists per game and a team-best 2.4 steals per game, along with Ally Wertz, who came off the bench to average 3.3 points per game, to go with one steal and one assist per game.

Key returners: The Golden Hawks will have three of their top four scorers from last year back, as Ali Butters paced the team with 12.1 points per game in her junior year.

Butters will be joined by Addison Rath, who went for 11.5 points per game as a sophomore, and also led the team with 4.8 rebounds per game. Ireland Hostetler will also be a key inside presence for the Hawks in her senior season, after averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2015-16.

First contest: at Fairfield, Nov. 22

Highland

2015-16 record: 18-6

Season recap: The Highland girls? basketball team posted a strong year last season, but ran into a buzz saw in the postseason.

The Huskies opened the year with a 10-1 record, before going through a 3-3 stretch in the middle of the year, falling to Wilton, New London and eventual state qualifier Pekin.

The Huskies closed out the 2015-16 season winning five of six contests, but they were forced to face Pekin in the regional tournament, and the Panthers ousted Highland from the postseason.

Of Highland?s six losses, Pekin accounted for three of them, and two others were decided by five or fewer points.

Key losses: The Huskies only had one senior on last year?s team, but it was a good one.

Cheyanne Adamson used her senior season to average 15.3 points per game, also picking up 7.1 rebounds and more than 4 assists per game.

Adamson?s production throughout the year was efficient, shooting at a clip of 44.7 percent from the field.

Key returners: Despite losing Adamson, the Huskies will return a number of very talented athletes.

Senior Kelsey Hora will be entering her final season, and the small guard plays much bigger than her size, picking up 16.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, to go with a team-best four steals per game and four assists per game.

The Huskies will also return sophomore Aly Stokes, who averaged a double-double as a freshman scoring 10.3 points per game and grabbing 11.2 rebounds per contest.

As she develops into her second season, that production should only increase, as Highland looks to build on its strong foundation.

First contest: at Keota, Nov. 18.

WACO

2015-16 record: 8-16

Season recap: An early three-game winning streak helped WACO win five games in the first month of the season, but a tough stretch in a tough conference to end the year forced the Warriors to finish below .500 in 2015-16.

Key losses: The Warriors only lose one senior from last season, in Cierra McArtor, who averaged 2.4 points per game, and finished second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per contest.

In her final season, she also finished second on the team in assists and fourth on the team in steals.

Key returners: Many eyes will be on returning senior Halle Kissell, who led the team in scoring last year, with 9.4 points per game.

Kissell, who has played significant time since her sophomore season, also led the squad with 7.3 rebounds last season, and averaged more than two steals per contest to lead the Warriors.

Helping Kissell will be sophomore Kiana Miller, who averaged 6.7 points per game in 2015-16, while top assister Kasey Sutton will also be entering her senior season.

First contest: at Central Lee, Nov. 22.

Columbus

2015-16 record: 9-15

Season recap: A strong start to the season had Columbus off to a 4-2 start, but teeth of SEISC play got to the Wildcats as they suffered an eight-game losing streak through December and January.

A strong finish to the season helped the Wildcats gain momentum heading into the postseason, but they ran into Pekin in the Regional Tournament, who cruised to a 30-point win to end Columbus? season.

Key losses: The Wildcats lose five seniors from last year?s team, including Courtney Orr, who was a 3-point specialist for the Wildcats, knocking down 37 longballs on the year.

Orr also finished second on the team with 58 assists and averaged 4.1 rebounds.

The Wildcats also lose Sarah Todd, who picked up 5.2 rebounds per game in 2015-16.

Laura Mincks, who averaged 5.0 points per game before suffering a leg injury that sidelined her for the season, also graduated in May.

Key returners: The Wildcats will turn to a pair of talented athletes in their senior seasons, with Shania Boyd and Bailey Stroud both looking to finish their careers strong.

Boyd led the Wildcats with 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest, while Stroud notched 13.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game in their junior campaigns.

First contest: at Wapello, Nov. 22.

Iowa Mennonite

2015-16 record: 1-19

Season recap: It was a tough season for IMS in 2015-16, going winless until the first game in February, when they picked up a three-point victory over Winfield-Mt. Union.

That win would be the only victory on the season for IMS, as they look to build in 2016-17.

Key losses: IMS will lose its lone senior from last season, Jess Bender, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, to go with a phenomenal 71 blocks this season.

Key returners: IMS will return lots of talent this season, led by sophomore Suzanna Yoder, who had 8.3 points per game last year.

Yoder also led the team in rebounds, with 5.7 per game while leading the squad in assists (45) and steals (32).

First contest: At Mediapolis, Nov. 11.

Keota

2015-16 record: 1-21

Season recap: The Eagles were winless for much of the season, but a late-season victory (29-22 over North Mahaska on Feb. 5) gave them the notch in the win column they needed, before falling in the regional tournament to WACO.

Key losses: Keota will lose two of its top three scorers from last year in Grace Shemanski and Mariah Lyle, who combined for 7.1 points per game. They will also lose their top two rebounders, Shemanski and Courtney Hyman, to graduation.

Key returners: Raigan Sprouse led the team in scoring as a junior, picking up 5.6 points per game, while sophomore Addison Sprouse notched 3.4 per game as the next leading scorer returning this season.

First contest: vs. Highland, Nov. 18.