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YOUNGSTOWN -- Things changed for Youngstown State's women's basketball team on day one of the team's practice.
Junior Nikki Arbanas suffered a season-ending injury.
One half of the starting backcourt the Penguins had the last two years … gone.
Guards Jenna Hirsch, Alison Smolinski, Kelley Wright and Melinda Trimmer return, along with newcomers Jen Oduho, Mailee Jones, Izzy Meese and Morgan Brunner, who will all vie for time in that shooting guard spot.
"It has given us some time to give some of the other players some extra reps," said YSU coach John Barnes, whose team opens Friday (7 p.m.) against American. "I'm excited of what some of the newcomers have done.
"We're looking to fill her shoes collectively. So far, so good."
Redshirt 5-foot-11 senior Kelsea Newman, who toggled between small and power forward last year, said this year's team is prepared for the campaign.
"Our team chemistry is improving as the weeks go by," she said. "With the scrimmage we had, the exhibition game, we're learning a lot from film. I think we're prepared well for the season."
The low-post game is looking good as well, with Miami of Ohio graduate transfer Tamira Ford (5-10), junior Morgan Olson (6-0) and freshman Mary Dunn (6-3) providing a good presence. Olson is coming off a knee injury.
Ford is leading the pack.
"She brings a physical presence, experience," Barnes said. "She's very smart, too. Kind of leads us from that position."
Lordstown native and junior Sarah Cash (6-1) was the team's leader last season with 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game on a team that went 21-13 and advanced to the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational. She tweaked her knee and had arthroscopic surgery recently.
Barnes listed her as day-to-day.
"It's all in how she feels," he said as far as her return.
Barnes said his team is ready to play in its first official game Friday.
They also showed how they can come together as an offensive group to go on without Arbanas.
"When she went down, it increased that sense of urgency, potential they could get starting roles," Barnes said. "The level all the way around stepped up.
"It was good to see the perimeter players step up and earn those minutes."
There's no making up for her 89-of-251 3-pointers last season.
"We did a real nice job in our exhibition game scoring the ball inside the 3-point arc," Barnes said. "We necessarily didn't take a lot of 3s. We did attack the basket more than we had last year, which is exciting to me. You don't want to live and die by the 3. We shot a ton last year. With that being said, Sarah Cash was our leading scorer. We really don't want to abandon throwing the ball inside or taking it to the basket with Sarah out. We did a good job of that in our exhibition game. Hopefully we'll continue that against American Friday."