Continuity has been a good thing for the St. Aloysius girls basketball team.

Former Warren Central and University of New Orleans player Cookie Johnson is back for her second year as coach. Johnson, a three-time Vicksburg Post Player of the Year for the Lady Vikes under then coach Donny Fuller, welcomes back four starters and four key contributors off the bench for the 2012-13 season, which begins tonight at home against Enterprise-Lincoln.

“We’ve looked good so far,” Johnson said. “We only have eight players, but I’m still going to push them to put as much into this as did when I played.”

The Lady Flashes responded well to Johnson’s approach, which led to an 8-14 record. The eight wins was the most for a St. Al girls’ team since a 21-9 record in 2007-08, when it won the Division 7-1A Tournament and a home playoff game.

An experienced frontline is led by two All-Warren County players, Ann Garrison Thomas and Ellie Welp. Thomas led the county in scoring at 18.4 points and added 12 rebounds per game while Welp averaged nine points and 10 rebounds a game. The third All-County player is guard Allie Willis, who averaged 13 points, five steals, and five assists per game.

The other returning starter is forward Alexa Engel, who, like her fellow teammates, is glad Johnson is back.

“Coach Johnson has created such a positive environment for us,” Engel said. “We’ve grown as a team. We’ve improved a whole lot. I think with us being so connected, we’ve gotten back into the swing of things on what we want to do on the court. It’s a good jump start into the season.”

The one void Johnson had to address was at point guard, where Ashtin Giambrone graduated. Through three weeks of preseason workouts, Klaire Miller won the job.

“She’s calling out plays and just took over the role,” Johnson said.

Though the bench is not deep, Johnson likes the progress they’ve made, especially center Avery Parman, who sprouted up to nearly six feet during the summer.

“Avery has got some long arms now and has become a good rebounder,” Johnson said. “She’s a much tougher player than last year.”

Claire Gamble and Alyssa Engel have improved as well.

The St. Aloysius boys are focused on rebounding from last year’s 1-22 disaster.

Second-year coach and former Alcorn State player Delvin Thompson said his Flashes will be better this season.

“We’ll definitely win more than just one game,” Thompson said. “We have a little more experience.”

Another good note is the return of several players who showed promise last season. Senior Elliott Bexley, who led the team in scoring until a mid-January knee injury ended his season, is back. So are potentially strong perimeter shooters Matthew Foley and Ben Welp. Connor Smith and Charles Pendleton will share the role at point guard.