Last season, the Reedley College women's basketball team got off to a hot start before cooling off.

This season, the Lady Tigers hope to start off hot and stay that way.

The new season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in a 5 pm contest at Modesto Junior College. The RC men face the Pirates at 7pm in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader. Two days later, the RC women play their first home game, a 5 pm battle with the Hartnell College Panthers.

In 2017-18, Reedley started with a 5-1 record before finishing 13-13 overall and 4-8 in Central Valley Conference action, good for fifth place. Topping the list of five returnees from that squad is 5-foot, 6-inch guard I'man Conley (Edison, Fresno), who led RC in scoring at 15.5 points per game. She was also third on the team in rebounds.

Zavia Barlow (5'6", Washington Union) was next on the team at 12.3 points per game.

Other veterans include Jelani Williford (Stockton), Stephanie Cervantes (Dinuba) and Kristy Berry (Minarets), who along with Verenice Alcocer (Lindsay), are on the women's volleyball roster until their season ends on Nov. 9.

Freshmen on the Lady Tigers roster include Chloe Welch (Exeter),Tonee Bland (Washington Union), Sam Mendoza (Dinuba),Aurelie Bevao (France) and Brittney Rogers (Edison).

"We have some good sophomores back and some freshmen that work very hard," said Kilbert, who predicts last season's co-champion College of the Sequoias, as the early conference favorite.

The Tigers don't have much height. "But if you have the willingness to go after the basketball, you can make up for that height," said the coach.

"We would like to get off to a decent start but we are more focused on when we get to league play."

By Will Goldbeck