Members of the Warrensburg girls basketball team shoot during practice.

Editor's note: Each weekday, digitalburg.com will look at a different girls or boys basketball program in Johnson County until all are profiled. Coming Monday: Chilhowee girls.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Keith Chapman knows there are questions about where his team’s offensive production will come from this season. But he also knows there are factors important to winning basketball that are as much a product of effort as talent.

Those are the factors that Chapman has the Warrensburg girls focused on in the preseason.

“We’re going to have to defend very well, and we’re going to have to rebound well to have an opportunity to be successful,” said Chapman, who is in his second year doing double duty as activities director and girls basketball coach. “And those are the two things that we’re going to make a priority all year long.”

Warrensburg finished 14-11 last season and advanced to the semifinal round of Class 4 District 14, before falling to eventual district champion Grain Valley in overtime.

But the top three scorers from that team graduated, and just one full-time starter returns to this season’s squad. Gone are Tamara Cooks, who averaged about 13.5 points per game last season, and twin sisters Jallissa and Sharniece Lewis, each of whom averaged about 10 per contest.

Chapman doesn’t expect his team to replace all of those points.

“We’re going to have to be balanced offensively,” Chapman said. “Every night,we’re going to have to have four or five girls give us six or eight points. We’re going to have to keep the game below 50 to have a chance to win.”

The one full-time starter who does return is junior Briana Carter, who is in her third season as the team’s point guard.

“Her speed and quickness help her, not only on the offensive end, but allow us to put her on one of the better players defensively,” Chapman said.

“She’s going to have to score some, but I look for her to get us into our offense and look for opportunities to distribute the basketball and put other players in position to score.”

Junior Michele Fitzgerald was a part-time starter last season and figures to see an increased role this season at the No. 3 guard spot.

“She’ll be somebody we’ll look for us to score for us at times and defend one of the best guards on the other team,” Chapman said.

The Lady Tigers would have returned a starter in the post, but suffered a setback this summer when senior Kelsey Callahan suffered a torn ACL that will end her career. Callahan had suffered a similar injury on the opposite knee as a freshman.

Sophomore Maggie Slifer is back from a knee injury that kept her out last season and Chapman projects her as a starter. Slifer, who is the daughter of UCM Jennies basketball coaches Dave and Tammy Slifer, gives the Lady Tigers a savvy player in the backcourt.

“Her strength is she handles the basketball very well,” Chapman said. “She shoots the ball above average and she can control the floor; she’s like having a second point guard on the floor at the same time.”

Junior Emalee Nelson projects as a starter in the post, but Chapman is still working at sorting out the rest of his rotation.

Sophomore Erin Brockhaus and junior Ashlyn Godfrey will both see time inside and sophomore Brittany Richey will step in at guard.

“I look for those three to contribute a lot to varsity this year,” Chapman said. “They all got some playing time last year.”

Seniors Alexa Huebotter (a post) and Erin Warden (a guard) give the Lady Tigers two more returning varsity players.

Warrensburg opens its season in the Marshall Tournament. The Lady Tigers’ first game is versus Moberly, 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at Missouri Valley College.