Marietta College's young women's basketball team lost its top five scorers from last season and has only one senior and one junior on the roster but the Pioneers have a talented freshman class and figure to win more and be more competitive in the upcoming campaign.

"This whole group is energetic and they're excited," said third-year coach Jill Meiring.

"I think everybody on our team is going to progress," Meiring said. "Hopefully, at the end of the season we're 10 times better than we are right now. We're already better than we were at the beginning of practice."

If the freshmen grow with experience, there looms a significant step forward from last year's 2-23 overall record and 0-18 Ohio Athletic Conference mark.

The Pioneers opens their season Friday at 8 p.m. in Pittsburgh against host Carnegie-Mellon (1-0) in the third annual Radisson University Athletic Association-Ohio Athletic Conference Challenge. MC plays Case Western Reserve (0-1) at 2 p,m. Saturday.

Case Western plays John Carroll (1-0) Friday and Carnegie-Mellon meets John Carroll Saturday. Carnegie-Mellon, Case Western, and John Carroll opened their seasons earlier this week, C-M downing Bethany (W. Va.) 60-55, John Carroll routing Wooster 85-62, and Case Western losing 70-65 to Washington & Jefferson (Pa.).

Marietta returns three letterwinners, 5-5 senior wing Whitney Swain of Belpre and Warren Local High, 5-7 sophomore wing Rachel Jones, and 5-10 sophomore post Lizz Wilson.

Swain, the team captain, played in only two games last season because of illness but played in all 24 contests the previous year and started twice. She averaged 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds.

"She just works hard on both ends of the floor," Meiring said. "She gets after it on defense. We're looking to push the ball a little more and she's able to get out and get on down the floor. We've got the kids to push it. Right now it's just a matter of making the right decisions."

Jones played in 20 games and started six last season, averaging 5.1 points.

"She has a really nice three-point shot and she's one of the one's who can step in and take a charge," Meiring said.

Wilson played in 25 games, started 11, and finished with a 5.1 scoring average and a 3.8 rebound average.

"Lizz was our most improved player last yar,"Meiring said.

Swain, Jones, and Wilson are expected to provide critical leadership for the many freshmen.

"They've been there before and I'm expecting them to really relay that to the freshmen," Meiring said. "They know what it takes to compete in the OAC and I hope they can convey that to the freshmen."

Swain and Wilson will start in the opening game along with 5-6 freshman wing or post Aleisha Guiler of Lower Salem (Monroe Central High), 5-10 junior wing Mallory Hoff of New Matamoras (Frontier), and either 5-3 freshman Brittany Metcalf or 5-3 freshman Kodi Brenner at point guard.

Meiring is particulary high on Guiler.

"She's one of our more well-rounded players," Meiring said. "She can give us a lot of good offense at guard. She can play on the perimeter and also inside. She gives us a lot of different options."

Hoff is a transfer at Ohio University but didn't play there. "She has some really deceptive moves," Meiring said.

Playing a freshman at point guard can be tough but Meiring feels her point people can be good with experience. "They're learning," Meiring said.

Among the other freshmen Meiring mentioned who may see considerable action are 5-5 wing Chelsea Doutt (Cambridge, Buckeye Trail), 5-6 wing Heather Blair, and 6-0 post Danielle Lang of Lowell (Fort Frye). But there's other capable freshmen, Meiring said, and one is 5-6 wing Alyson Stalter of Marietta High.

Big loss from last season was All-OAC Amanda Carraher, a four-year letter winner who set six school three-point records. She led the team in scoring last season with a 12.9 average and hit a team-high 50 treys.

"Blair's a pretty good three-point shooter but pretty much everybody on the team is capable of shooting the three but not as consistent as A. C.," Meiring said.

The Pioneers return home to host the 25th annual Jim Meagle Turkey Shoot, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-29, Marietta plays Oberlin at 8 p.m. following a 6 p.m. contest between Thiel (Pa.) and Mount St. Joseph in the opening round.