One of the teams optimistic about this girls’ basketball season is the Lone Tree Lions. Second year head coach Johnathon Harshman finished 8-14 during his first season as the Lions’ girls basketball coach, winning six of their eight games after the start of the new year.

The Lions return their top six scorers from a season ago, including a trio of junior athletes who led Lone Tree in every statistical category. Junior Madison Forbes was the team’s best offensive threat a season ago, racking up 227 points. She also led Lone Tree in highest scoring average per game (10.3), most two-point field goal attempts (222), most two-point field goals made (82), most three-point field goal attempts (88), most three-point field goals made (23), most offensive rebounds (42), and led the Lions in steals (57).

Junior Elena Sieverding returns to the Lions as the team’s leader in free throws made last season, racking up 45 points from the line. She also led the Lions in free throw attempts (94), defensive rebounds (72), most total rebounds (106), highest rebound average per game (5), and swatted the most blocked shots (5).

Junior Liz Dodson was the best Lion player at making the most of her free throw attempts. She posted a team-best 59 percent free throw average.

Coach Harshman points to his team’s shot selection and free throw shooting as areas in need of improvement this season. Lone Tree shot 29 percent from the floor last season, and converted just over 48 percent of their free throw attempts. The Lions ranked second to last in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North in both categories last season.

The season begins for the Lone Tree Lion girls’ basketball team on Monday, traveling to face the Danville Bears in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference bout. Lone Tree won last year’s meeting, 47-41 in Lone Tree.