The Wright State women’s basketball begins practice Monday, and when it opens the regular season Nov. 9 against Southeast Missouri at the Nutter Center, it will have a different look than last season.

Coach Mike Bradbury says the team will play faster. The graduation of the team’s top two rebounders, Molly Fox and Shaunda Sandifer, means the team is more suited to an up-tempo pace.

“Those were two good players, but they limited us a little bit in being able to play different styles,” Bradbury said. “We had to play one way with those guys, and it was successful. Now we’ll play a lot faster than what we have. What we’ve been doing in individual workouts is a lot quicker. It’s kind of a mindset.”

The Raiders finished 21-13 last season, the most wins in a season for the program since it joined Division I, and 12-6 in the Horizon League. They received a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational for the second straight season.

Three starters — Kim Demmings, Courtney Boyd and Kayla Lamotte — return this season.

“We’re really excited,” Bradbury said. “I think our talent level is good enough to have a chance to win the league. That will be our goal. We have good players. We have good depth.”

Demmings led the team in scoring with 18.4 points per game last season, and she also averaged 6.1 rebounds. That makes her the top returning rebounder because Fox and Sandifer averaged 20.1 rebounds between them.

Demmings, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard, made the Horizon League first team as a freshman and was named newcomer of the year. She was also Wright State’s MVP.

“She looks great,” Bradbury said. “She’s really improved from last year. She’s in great shape, great physical condition. Her game’s improved.”

Men’s season approaches

The Wright State men don’t begin practicing until Oct. 13, but fans will get a taste of the upcoming season Oct. 9 when the results of the preseason poll and preseason all-league teams are announced at the Horizon League’s men’s basketball media day in Rosemont, Ill.

McCurdy honored

Wright State junior goalkeeper Brooke McCurdy was named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after recording nine save in a 1-0 double-overtime win at Milwaukee, the league’s preseason favorite, on Saturday.

The Raiders, led by Ini Umotong’s hat trick, beat IPFW 5-0 on Monday for their third win in a row. They are 6-2-3 and 1-0 in the Horizon League.

Swim season begins

The men’s and women’s swimming teams open the season Sunday in Fishers, Ind., with a meet including Butler, Evansville, St. Louis and Valparaiso.

Last season, the men’s team finished fourth and the women fifth at the Horizon League Championships.

The team’s returning Horizon champions are senior Eric Ahlden (100 back, 200 back, 800 relay) and Pawel Grzebala (1,650 freestyle, 800 relay).

Among the new freshmen are several local grads: Devin Shanahan (Vandalia Butler); Merritt Sparks (Centerville); and Jaime Siler (West Carrollton).

Wright State Invitational

The women’s tennis team hosts the Wright State Invitational today through Sunday. The Raiders opened the season last week at the Ball State Invitational. Kayla Tuscany and Liz Steingass were the only players to win their first-round matches.