While the men's basketball team from Greenville High is still adjusting to each other, the women's basketball team was putting on a scoring clinic.

They always say that the first game is the toughest one, someone forgot to tell that to the Greenville High School Lady Tigers.

In their first game of the season last Friday night against Central-Hayneville, the Greenville doubled the Lady Lions to the tune of 62-31.

"I'd call that a good start, said Ronald Boggans, coach of the Lady Tigers. Jessica Powell led the team with 18 points. Victoria McDonald had 17 points and six rebounds. Kendra Mitchell tacked on 13 points and then Morgan Crenshaw contributed nine points and eight rebounds.

"The first half was very slow," said Boggans. "That was due to Central-Hayneville not being very talented. That's because they've got a young group of kids."

But, for Boggans and the Lady Tigers, a game like this presents opportunities to try things on both sides of the ball in a live game situation.

"We try to push the ball up the floor if we have the opportunity," said Boggans. "If it's not there then we have a couple of sets that we like to run, play some half-court. Defensively we run a 2-3 and we are trying something new this year, a match-up zone. It's working pretty well. We haven't had a chance to use it against a decent opponent yet, but we used it some Friday night and it's worked pretty well."

The Lady Tigers came into the game minus their three Division I-A prospects from a year ago. Despite those losses, Boggans team is still a contender. Nearly everyone on the team saw playing time last season.

He is especially looking for two of his seniors to step up.

"Morgan Crenshaw has done a good job and my seniors," said Boggans. "Jessica Powell is basically doing what she did last year. She led the team in scoring last year and she made it to the All-Star Weekend. She got a chance to play in the north vs. south All-Star game which is pretty big for her.

Morgan Crenshaw has been a pleasant surprise," said Boggans. "She's a senior. Last year she played a lot but didn't score a lot. This year, she's scored nine points in her first game, that's got to be a career high for her and she's a leader as well. Jessica Powell, if she does what she did last year."

So far Powell, who earned a trip to the Alabama All-Star Weekend last year, is living up to the billing. In the first game of the season she racked up 18 points.

The Lady Tigers will be in action full force beginning next week.

Tuesday, they take to the court at 1:30 against Georgiana High School.

"Last year Georgiana beat us at home close to the last game of the season. I think our girls will come out and be ready to play. They just shot lights out that night and hopefully they won't do that this year," said Boggans.

From there they will travel to Tuscaloosa and compete in the Tuscaloosa tournament.

"Selma had a tournament," said Boggans. "But they decided to cancel their tournament and go to the Tuscaloosa Tournament. So right now, we are tentatively scheduled to go to the Tuscaloosa Tournament. We will be facing Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the first round and they are the host team."

The Lady Tigers will get to test their mettle throughout the tournament as they will compete against Butler High, J.O. Johnson, Central-Tuscaloosa, Livingston and Selma.