ANDERSON, S.C. -- Coming off the most successful season ever for the four-year program, the Anderson College women's basketball team is poised to build on the foundation that has been laid. "We return just about everybody," said AC head coach Kevin Pederson. "We bring back some exciting young players. We've only got two seniors and neither one of them started much last year. In the next two years, we will have a very young but experienced team. We know what we're looking for. We want to bring a CVAC championship to Anderson. We want to establish ourselves in the league then we want to establish ourselves in the southeast." Pederson took over as head coach last January and led the Lady Trojans to a 13-9 record and two victories in the CVAC Tournament. The Lady Trojans finished the season 15-14 for the first winning season in the history of the four-year program. "We stretched out so many minutes out of a few players last season," he said. "This year, I believe we're a solid 10 deep. If you asked me right now to name the starting five, I couldn't. I'm not sure I can even name two starters. We really have a lot of parity on this team. I'm very excited about being able to do some different things with lineups this year. "We made a lot of progress in the off-season as far as giving players certain skills that they haven't had before. I'm very pleased with their dedication and what we've been able to get done." Pederson has the nucleus returning that fueled the Lady Trojans' turnaround. Junior Amy Davidson (12.2 points per game) and sophomores Deanna Thompson (9.7 points per game, 3.7 assists per game) and Shemika Reed (4.7 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game) all were key elements in AC's mid-season turnaround. "You have to play hard, you have to play aggressive, and you have to play smart," Pederson said. "To do those three things, you have to be somewhat fresh. Our strategy is to wear down our opponents. We want to be as physically fit as we can. Hopefully, we will be in such good shape that the fatigue will not affect us mentally." Pederson expects Thompson to lead the Lady Trojans from the point. "I think Deanna will be one of the best point guards in the league and one of the best players in the league," he said. "We worked a lot of her shooting in the off-season. We expect her to be able to stretch the court a little bit." Davidson is the Lady Trojans' best shooting threat from behind the arc. "Amy is very talented, but she struggled last season with inconsistent shooting," Pederson said. "We expect her to be more consistent this season. She was on campus this summer, and she had her knee scoped. She's in the best shape she's ever been in in her life." Pederson says sophomore Nicole Beasley made dramatic improvement in the off-season. "Nicole has improved her scoring ability," he said. "Nicole has to be able to get us some points. In the past, Nicole has passed up open shots. We need her to take those shots." The Lady Trojans did suffer one big personnel loss with the graduation of guard Julie Hart, who finished her career second on the AC career scoring list. Hart will serve the AC program as a volunteer coach this season. In addition to seven returnees, Pederson has added one of the most talented incoming classes in the brief history of the program. Three of the top newcomers are Decole Shoemate, a transfer from Florida International University; Michelle Trewartha, a guard/forward from Australia; and Leann Segers, who played at the same high school (Hart County, Hartwell, Ga.) as Hart. "When I took this job, my biggest concern wasn't coaching," Pederson said. "My biggest concern was recruiting. Our recruiting really worked out well. Decole can do a lot of things. She is 5-11, she's athletic, she can create her own shot, and she's a very good defender. Leann, who played at the same high school as Julie Hart and Maya Fouch, will be one of the best freshmen in the league. She can flat out play. She has good handling skills, and she's an excellent shooter. Michelle is a hard worker and can play any position. She's tough, and she's strong." The Lady Trojans open the season Friday, Nov. 22, at Francis Marion.