The Muskingum women's basketball team, under veteran head coach Beth Fox, will look to grab an upper-tier position in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2016-17 season.

Coach Fox will have the luxury of eight returning letterwinners and four starters back from last season. Key returners include senior post player Mallory Taylor and junior guards Alexandra Carson and Olivia Besancon.

Taylor helped protect the rim as a force in the paint. She averaged 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Taylor started 25 games and scored a career-best 28 points against Mount Union and grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds against Wooster.

Carson started all 25 games last season and averaged 9.8 points per game and registered a team-best 59 steals over the season. She also grabbed 3.3 rebounds per game and scored a career-best 19 points at Heidelberg.

Besancon provided a deep-ball threat for the Muskies. She connected on 51 three-point shots and averaged 11.0 points per game. Besancon scored a career-high 22 points against Kenyon.

Coach Fox will also have junior guards Caitlyn Smith, Hallie Stocker, Schyler Fennimore, and sophomore guard Dana Parkman to help add depth and talent to the team.

Smith played in all 25 games last season and averaged 17.1 minutes per outing, while Stocker averaged 7.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

Finnemore saw action in 20 games for the Muskies averaging just under eight minutes per outing. Parkman played in 11 contests pulling down 1.3 rebounds per game after transferring to Muskingum.

Muskingum opens the season on Tuesday, November 12 at Kenyon. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.

All contests held in the Anne C. Steele Center this season will feature free live HD video and live stats at FightingMuskies.com.