WARDSVILLE - After playing their last six games during a 13-day stretch, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons have enjoyed their 12 days off.
"I like the practices we've had the last week and a half," Blair Oaks coach Darren Heckman said. "We've gotten some things done and hopefully that'll show up on the court."
They'll have the next three days to see if they've made progress during that time between games.
Blair Oaks will open play in the Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic today against St. Joseph Benton.
Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Rackers Fieldhouse.
The Lady Falcons' 2-0 start preceded four losses in five games.
"We've been trying to focus on taking care of the ball a little better," Heckman said. "We don't give ourselves enough of a chance when we're turning it over too much. And just trying to make sure we're understanding where we want to get shots."
Blair Oaks is averaging about 49.5 points per game.
Bailey Rissmiller, who scored a season-high 21 points in a 57-49 loss to St. James, and Mallorie Fick, who led Blair Oaks with 22 points in a 41-39 defeat against Hermann, have shown they can score in bunches when needed.
They'll face a Class 4 Benton (2-7) team allowing 46 points per game while playing three Class 5 teams and three Class 4 teams in its first nine games.
"They just guard really well, they start there," Heckman said. "They usually just play man-to-man defense and get after you, so it'll be a challenge for us."
The young and inexperienced Lady Cardinals are scoring nearly 35 points per game, including a season-high 50 points in a seven-point victory against Lutheran South in the NCMC Shootout last Saturday in Trenton.
"A lot of their games are like that," Heckman said. "They probably guarded us better than anybody last year."
Benton won this matchup 47-31 last season on its way to a runner-up finish in the Classic.
But Benton graduated five players that appeared in that game, including four starters.
Kianna Herrera, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, is the lone returning starter. Jaida Cox, a 5-8 sophomore, is another key returner for the Lady Cardinals.
"They're a little bigger than we are, but most teams are," Heckman said. "They've got a new point guard and a couple of shooters on the outside."
Blair Oaks enters the game allowing nearly 53 points per game.
"We've been trying to kind of settle into what we want to do," Heckman said. "Try and be a little more consistent there, at least in what kind of defense we're playing."
These teams are grouped with Helias (4-1) and Blue Springs South (7-0, No. 4 in Class 5) at the bottom half of the bracket.
At the top are Jefferson City (7-0, No. 1 in Class 5), Hickman (2-4), Deer Creek (Okla.) and Eureka.
"It will be three challenging games regardless of who we play," Heckman said.