The Blue Devils have plenty of returning scorers from last year’s women’s basketball team. But it’s the team’s ball handling that head coach Suzy Hebrink is worried about.

“We should be really competitive in every game, but it’s going to be a fine line between being one of the best teams and one of the worst if we don’t make good court decisions,” she said. “Our biggest problem right now is decision making and hopefully that’s going to get better. Court awareness and making decisions on the court isn’t something I can help them with.”

RCC struggled with turnovers last season and the focal point so far has been keeping control of possession.

When the Blue Devils run their offense correctly, they shouldn’t have trouble finding scoring options. The team returns Austin grad Krista Viehauser, a forward who was on the All-MCAC South second team last season while averaging 21.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Also returning is guard Joni Lillo, who was RCC’s second best scoring option last season.

“It helps a lot to have experience. We know what to expect and we’ve all worked together already,” Viehauser said. “It’s pretty much turnovers and crashing the boards that we’re working on, but once we start getting better we should be a real good team.”

Guard Brooke Rosenstiel and foward Danyel Hythecker are two other retuners and point guard Krissy Schemmel returns to the team after missing last season with a knee injury. Schemmel played for RCC two years ago.

“I think (Krissy) will help us out a lot,” Viehauser said. “She’s a real good shooter and she has real good court awarness.”

RCC will feature some newcomers on a team that has solid depth with 12 players on the roster. The team has two new point guards in Kenzie Martin of Alden/Conger and Kim Craig from Southland.

Other newcomers include center Robin Arjes from Austin and Bridget Bergstrom, who is from Marshall. The Blue Devils are also hoping to get Cassie Masberg on the court, who is from Waterville/Elysian/Morristown. Masberg was a basketball recruit, but was injured during RCC’s volleyball season.

Hebrink hopes to have her back on the court in a week or two.

So far, the veterans have had a good influence on their younger counterparts.

“I think our sophomores have done a good job with intensity and working hard in practice. Our freshman our willing to learn from them,” Hebrink said. “We’ve got kids that can play tough defense, we can put the ball through the hoop and we can shoot from the outside. We have depth in the post and if we box out and play good defense we can be pretty competitive, but we have to make good decisions.”

RCC will open its season at University of Wisconsin Richland Center Wednesday at 5 p.m.

The Blue Devils home opener is against Northern Iowa Community College Nov. 20 at noon.