PROVO -- The defending 2006 MWC Regular Season Champion BYU women's basketball team prepares for the upcoming season hosting two exhibition games this week.
Westminster College visits the Marriott Center on Wed. Nov. 1 and Dixie State College comes on Fri., Nov. 3. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.
BYU returns four starters from last year's team that finished with the program's best record ever at 26-6. Seniors Jennie Keele, Dani Kubik Wright and Melinda Johnsen will anchor the Cougar team in 2006-07 with junior guard Mallary Gillespie as the final returning starter. Lauren Riley, the 6-3 junior center along with sophomores Shawnee Slade and Cassie King also return with plenty of athletic ability and playing experience.
New to the BYU lineup are transfer Ashley Cheesman who played a season at San Diego State, Haley Hall, the Clearfield HS standout who's the school's all-time leader in scoring, steals and three-point shooting. Joining the team this year is freshman guard/forward Lauren Nichols who hails from Apple Valley, Calif., where she was a three-sport letterwinner and garnered Mojave River All-League and Mojave River League Senior Awards.
Last week, the media picked the Cougars to finish second in this year's MWC Preseason Media Poll. Kubik Wright was one of five returning players on the Preseason All-MWC Team.
The Cougars open up regular season play on Nov. 10 hosting Idaho State in a first round game in the 2006 Preseason WNIT. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m.