Cal State San Bernardino's women's basketball team kicks off the 2009-10 season Tuesday at home against Hope International University at 5:30 p.m. in Coussoulis Arena. 
    The Coyotes, coming off an 11-17 season (8-12 in the CCAA conference), will feature a lot of new faces along with a core group of experienced players headed by all-CCAA second-team guard Krystal Urzua. 
    CSUSB concludes the week with a 5:30 p.m. game at home against San Diego Christian on Saturday, part of a doubleheader that includes a Coyote men's game against Concordia University Irvine which follows at 7:30 p.m. 
    As of Monday, Head Coach Kevin Becker said he was sure of only one starter on Tuesday – that being Urzua, the team's leading scorer in 2008-09. She averaged 14 points a game and set team single-season and career marks for three-point field goals. 
    “We are going to start with defense and apply more pressure this year. We are an improved rebounding team. If we get those two things together we can transition more and get more easy baskets,” said Becker. 
    In pre-season scrimmages, the team had issues with taking care of the ball and making good decisions. “We'd made a great play and then turn over the ball in a no-brainer situation,” he said. 
    Veterans Morgan Pryor, Lisa Takata, Shannon Gholar, Ashlee Ford and Emily Vore return from last year's team but the coaches also want to see who among the newcomers can contribute. 
    “Amanda (Ragains) is capable of being like Jaclyn (Rainville) and Rachel (Johnson),” said Becker of the jaycee transfer from Rio Hondo College. Rainville and Johnson were both 6-footers who could score inside and outside and run the floor. 
    “She (Ragains) is still getting comfortable in our system,” Becker said. 
    Hope International, a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the Golden State Athletic Conference, has already played four games and is 2-2. The Royals beat Bethany and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, an NCAA D-3 school and lost to D-2 Holy Names and NAIA Eastern Oregon. 
    The Royals have displayed a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging between 11.5 and 12.0 points per game. Sara Lycans-Roy, a 6-1 senior transfer from Cal State Fullerton is averaging 11.8 rebounds a game and 11.8 points per game.