OMAHA, Neb. – The only way for the College of Saint Mary basketball program to go is up, and the Flames are excited to start that process.

CSM opens its season on Saturday with a 6 p.m. nonconference home game against William Penn University at the Lied Fitness Center, and first-year coach Natalie Miller is looking forward to seeing her team perform under game conditions.

"Our team has gained a lot of confidence in their abilities as individuals, and their buy-in to a new system has been phenomenal,'' she said. "Our team is excited for the season and ready to compete.''

Miller was the head coach at NCAA Division III Beloit (Wis.) College for the past two years. Prior to becoming a head coach, she also was on the staffs at NAIA Concordia (Mich.) University and the University of Texas at Dallas, an NCAA Division III school and her alma mater.

Last season, the Flames finished 1-26 overall and winless in 22 Great Plains Athletic Conference games. Miller knows a turnaround won't happen overnight. But she also isn't conceding anything.

"I expect our team to be competitive with every team we play,'' she said. "I don't care about last year or preseason polls. I care about our team and how we've shown up every day in practice, how we worked hard all summer, and how well we love each other, on and off the court. Our team is getting better, and we will be more competitive this season.''

CSM must replace key contributors Tia Murray, Sidney Anderson and ShyAnne Mayhue from last season. The top returnees are junior Chainey Thompson and senior Aleigha Jackson.

Thompson, an Omaha Westside product, made 34 3-point shots and hit nearly 92% of her free throws (22 of 24), averaging 5.3 points. Jackson, a Kansas City, Mo., native, averaged 18.0 points in just four games.

"We have a lot of players who can contribute and score, and they play really well together,'' Miller said. "Our goal is to show up every day and get better, to focus on what we have in front of us. The rest will fall into place.''