A commitment to defense helped the Lone Tree Lady Lions basketball team improve their win total by seven games last season over the prior season. Opponents of the Lady Lions scored an average of 37.3 points per game last year. Pekin was the only team to give up fewer points in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North (30.9). The result was a 15-8 campaign in the Lions’ second season under head coach Jonathan Harshman.

A weakness for the Lady Lions was their offensive production. Lone Tree ranked fifth in the conference last season at 41.9 points scored per game. Lone Tree failed to score 40 points in nine games last winter. The Lady Lions lost five of those contests.

Lone Tree seniors Madison Forbes and Elena Sieverding were guests on last Friday’s KCII Winter Sports Preview show, and they believe their offense will be better this season. Forbes stated several girls have been shooting in the gym since volleyball ended, and the players who weren’t out for volleyball spent multiple nights casting up shots during the fall. Sieverding added the group worked on additional offensive sets this summer to help increase their chances of scoring.

The Lady Lions open their season on November 21 hosting the Danville Bears. Listen to the interview with Forbes and Sieverding On Demand at KCIIRadio.com.