The Bobbie Wheat era got underway for the Gans Lady Grizzlies this new basketball season with a road game at Okay on Monday night and a home game Tuesday night against Riverside Conference foe and county rival Gore before entertaining conference rival Keota at 6 p.m. Friday at Bryant “Big Country” Reeves Fieldhouse.

The Lady Grizzlies were 4-19 last season and lost their lone playoff game 53-27 to Porum in the Class A District Tournament.

The good news for Wheat, who came to give after several years coaching the Riverside Conference rival Porum Lady Panthers, is she will have eight players back from a season ago, with two of them seniors — guard Makenzy Hunter and forward Brighton Dorsey.

Juniors back for the Lady Grizzlies include forward Makinzie Kimble, guard Madi Pilkington and post player Amarys White.

Forward Abigail Leach, post player Skylyn Bird and forward Yasenia Gaona are among the sophomores back.

The Lady Grizzlies will have six new players, with four of those freshmen — post player Audrie Moody and guards Kilynn Bird, Gracie Ohler and Krislynn Martin. Two juniors, forward Nora Barnes and post player Taylor Barger, round out the roster.

“This group is madeup of mainly underclassmen,” Wheat said. “Their style of play will be vastly different than what it has been in years past. They have size and some speed. They work together as a team and not as individuals.”

Wheat said the team’s strengths are team chemistry and the desire to get better.

“They come in each day and work hard, leaving everything on the floor,” she said.

Wheat said the biggest thing her new team will have to deal with, especially early on, will be inexperience.