[11/6/03]For several years, the St. Aloysius Lady Flashes have seen the dark side of playing tough competition.

Now that several of the teams in their division are finally rebuilding, however, it may be time for the Lady Flashes to see the light.

St. Al returns four starters from a year ago, and has nowhere to go but up after finishing 4-21. A state championship is a little far-fetched, but a few more wins and a run in the division tournament aren’t.

“I think we have a good attitude this year. I think we have improved and the rest of the competition has come down a little bit. We still have a strong district, but it’s weaker than it’s been,” St. Al coach Paul Hayden said.

For St. Al to show improvement in the win column, it must cut down on its turnovers. The Lady Flashes have struggled on the offensive end of the floor in the past, with both their ball-handling and shooting. The games they did win were usually low-scoring affairs in which their opponents also struggled.

“If we’ll cut 10 or 12 turnovers, that’ll help us win a few more ballgames,” Hayden said. “We struggled with turnovers and shooting the ball, but it was a learning year.”

A big key for the Lady Flashes will be the play of guards Laura Beth Lyons and Sarah Kerut. Lyons, a senior point guard, was the team’s leading scorer last season as well as a solid defender.

“Laura Beth is as consistent as she can be. I can count on her for 12 or 13 points, and she runs the offense well,” Hayden said.

Kerut, a freshman, also provided some points and good defense as an eighth-grade starter. Two other freshmen, Lawanna Thomas and Emily Clarke, will also be called on to contribute, Hayden said.

In the post, the Lady Flashes will rely on 6-footer Caitlin Moak and Nicole Ellis. Another forward, Laura Weeks, is out until December with a broken arm. That makes getting production from Moak and Ellis on the inside even more important, Hayden said.