Back in the friendly confines of the Recreation and Athletic Center for the first time this season, St. Edward's women's basketball seeks comfort beyond the chaos, starting with the home opener against Texas Lutheran on Saturday. 
 
St. Edward's opened the season with a pair of losses in Colorado, first to RMAC favorites Regis, then to Colorado School of Mines. The record could just as easily be 1-1 if not for missed free throws against Mines. 
 
The Hilltoppers won the turnover battle in both games and outscored their opponent in the paint. St. Edward's full-court pressure tilted the turnovers column in their favor. Adding athletic wing BAILEY FEATHERSTONE to a starting group that includes returners JAYDA RUFFUS-MILNER and LAUREN CATHERMAN promises to generate plenty of defense-to-offense opportunities this season. 
 
"I think our full-court pressure and presses are a bright spot right now," St. Edward's Head Women's Basketball Coach J.J. Riehl says. "When Bailey gets comfortable in the press, she can do some damage with her athleticism and size. And Jayda and Lauren were good as well."
 
Beyond playing in transition, St. Edward's has found some success with first-year point guard JANIAH PERKINS. J.P. erupted for 20 points in her collegiate debut and 22 in her second game, both on better than 47 percent shooting. 
 
"I thought J.P. was very good for a freshman at the point guard position," Riehl says. "It's figuring out how to grow her game and everyone else getting on the same page." 
 
St. Edward's succeeded in the unscripted, showing its talent in the chaos of its full-court pressure or on the whims of J.P.'s ability to get into the paint at will. Slowing down and coordinating actions in the half-court proved more difficult for a team with three new starters. 
 
"We've got three new people who've never experienced the roles they're being asked to play, and two of them are freshmen," Riehl explains. "When you have someone like J.P. who gets downhill so much, a lot of the flow of each possession is dictated by her, and something we're struggling with is fitting into new roles off of that." 
 
The defense needs fine-tuning, too, with missed rotations leading to big performances from behind the 3-point line for Regis's Josey Ryan and Athena Saragoza and Mines' Ashley Steffeck. Some issues, such as missed free throws, can be addressed more quickly. Others will be a process taken over the course of the season. 
 
"We need to make our free throws, and passing is a second emphasis; seeing the whole floor and not being so robotic in our reads, which all goes back to comfortability and chemistry," Riehl says. "We've got some games before conference to ensure we get fine-tuned and ready to go when it matters." 
 
St. Edward's open a two-game homestand against Texas Lutheran, who was voted third in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs return 13 players, including seven of their top eight scorers, with sophomores Brianna Wilson and Lauren Sansano leading the way with 14 and 13 points per game over their first two games. St. Ed
 
The Hilltoppers defeated Texas Lutheran 68-64 last season, getting 15 and 11 points from Catherman and Ruffus-Milner. Texas Lutheran got 24 points with four 3-pointers from Sansano. Tip-off is Saturday at 1 p.m.