The St. James Lady Tiger girls’ basketball squad has no intention of rebuilding this summer.

They are simply reloading.

So, what else is new?

As usual, the Lady Tigers do not have a large team in either size or numbers during the current summer off-season program.

But that never seems to matter to head coach Terry Wells, who usually just takes what he’s got and makes something positive happen. And that was certainly the case during last season’s improbable run to a fifth consecutive district title - and sixth in the last seven years. Offensively-challenged STJ also captured the undefeated Four Rivers Conference crown  - the ninth time in program history the Lady Tigers won both the district and conference crowns in the same year. It was also the 19th league and district crowns for the program.

St. James ended the season 17-12 overall after a Class 4 Sectional playoff loss to St. Francis Borgia.
After losing three seniors, Wells still has talent to build around coming back, along with a freshman group who could also make a difference if they can transition from middle school to high school competition.

There are 15 Lady Tigers from grades 9-12 participating in the current STJ off-season program.
St. James will have three Licking Shootouts and then a Branson Shootout, which is scheduled for June 24-25. “The rest of the time will be practice and weights,” Wells said of the team’s off-season.
In home Licking Shootouts the past two weekends the Lady Tigers finished a combined 10-2 at the varsity level - 5-0 the first weekend and 5-2 this past weekend.

“It’s gone well,” Wells said during this past weekend’s Licking Summer Shootout, held at the St. James Middle School. “We usually end up getting between 20 to 25 games. We’ve had some growing pains. It’s a young group and we’re looking at kids stepping into new roles.”

Wells has three seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen.

Lady Tiger seniors are guards Payge Kemnitzer, Adalee Richardson and Jolie Roark.

The unquestioned leader is point guard Kemnitzer, the returning FRC Player of the Year after averaging 12.6 points, 23 assists, 2.2 steals and 4.3 rebounds while making 83 three-pointers. Richardson, also all-conference, averaged 8.2 points, 2.8 steals, 4.3 rebounds and made 32 three-pointers last season.

A big key this season will be to add points to its team scoring average.

“We’ll be similar to last season,” Wells said. “We will always be defensively focused. Early in the season there will be growing pains, figuring things out. The freshmen can give us some size and length, which we need. But we need to get them competing at the varsity level, not a middle school level.

“I’m still learning about this group together. I feel like we’ll end up being better offensively this year. But our primary concern will be on the defensive end of the floor. And grit and toughness.”
Kemnitzer figures to log a lot of minutes, but may have additional help in the backcourt.

“There are a couple of freshmen who could give her a break (at point guard) and get her off the ball,” Wells said.