For Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball coach Brian Orr putting together the 2009-10 Warrior squad isn’t like one of those complicated puzzles that can take days to complete. Still, comparing this Warrior squad to a puzzle is a fairly accurate analogy.

For starters, there are a number of interchangeable pieces. Several players can be used at different positions and the Warriors, depending on the situation, can go with lineups that take advantage of height, quickness, and even scoring.

“I think we have a really talented group,” says Orr, who is entering his ninth year as the Warriors’ coach. “If we’re healthy, we’re as talented as any group that I’ve had here.”

That says a lot about this team, which returns eight players from last year’s squad that won Frontier Conference Tournament title and continued on with the Warrior tradition of excellence. To wit: The Warriors have had 17 straight season of 20-plus wins, made 13 trips to the NAIA National Tournament in the last 14 years, have appeared in eight of the last 10 Frontier Conference Tournament championship games, and have won five conference titles in the 10 years the school has been a part of the league. LCSC also has won two straight conference tournament titles.

With the bulk of the team returning – LCSC lost only two seniors from last year – expectations are again high for the Warriors.

“The toughest thing about being good is that you have to go out and prove it every day,” Orr said. “Every year is a different story. If you would have told me last year that we would finish second in the conference and then win the conference tournament, I’m not sure how I would have replied. But in retrospect, you bet. We had a young team and they came a long way.”

Even with most of the players returning, including freshmen who played key roles last year, there is still a lot of work ahead.

“We’re a long way from being a team,” Orr cautioned. “We need to become tougher, both mentally and physically.”

The two seniors gone from a year ago were a key part of the Warriors’ success. Forward Sadie Short was a two-time first-team all-conference selection, while guard Kim Preston was part of 109 victories during her four-year career, which is the most in program history.

Still, the Warriors return four full- or part-time starters from a year ago, led by sophomore Jasmine Stohr, who was both a first-team all-conference selection and the conference’s Freshman of the Year last season. Kenna Reiter and Nikki DePeel split time at the point guard spot, while Alyssa Fierro was the starting post last year. Depending on the health of the team – the Warriors enter the season a bit banged up – Reiter could be the only player who returns to her same position as a year ago.

The Warriors are still a young team with DePeel (5-6, Richland, WA) being the only senior. The junior class, led by Reiter (5-8, Central Point, OR.) and the return of Madison Mendezona (5-9, Tualatin, OR.), is strong, particularly at the guard position. Lauren Daling (5-8, Waterville, WA) is the only junior college transfer new to the team this year as she played two previous years at Wenatchee Valley. Post Nicole Miller (6-0, Curlew, WA.) rounds out the junior class.

LCSC’s sophomore class made an immediate impact a year ago. Joining Stohr (6-0, Yakima, WA.) and Fierro (6-2, Bigfork, Mt.) are post Kirsi Voshell (6-3, Pullman, WA.) and guard Tasha Bishop (5-10, Meridian, ID.). Those four combined to average nearly 29 points and 18 rebounds a game.

The two new freshmen on the squad are Ashley Honeycutt (6-0, Ferndale, WA.) and Annie Kane (5-5, Lapwai, ID.) Both come into the program with impressive credentials and will be counted on.

“This is one of the most offensively talented teams we’ve had here,” Orr said. “I want to continue on the path of improvement we were on last year. The expectation is that this group will play well together.”

The Warriors will find out plenty about themselves early when they play five games, including two exhibitions against NCAA Division I schools, in the first eight days of the season. LCSC opens with an exhibition game on Nov. 1 at Washington State, and then kicks off the regular season a night later at home against Northwest Christian University. The Warriors then hit the road for games at Azusa Pacific and California Baptist on back-to-back nights, and then stop in Boise on their way home for an exhibition on Nov. 8 against Boise State.

“This is, by far, the toughest preconference schedule we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Orr said. “We have the stretch of games to begin the season and we have home-and-home games with Azusa Pacific (ranked No. 18 in the final NAIA poll last year). It’s a tough schedule.”