COEUR d'ALENE - Two straight trips to nationals - returning nine players from last year's eighth-place finisher and ranked sixth in the preseason polls, the North Idaho Cardinal women knew they'd have a target on their back at the start of the season.

Led by 6-foot-2 returning All-American Tugce Canitez, the Cardinals have bulked up and are ready to defend their Region 18 tournament title. North Idaho College opens its season Thursday at Miles County Community College in Miles City, Mont.

Canitez was third in scoring in the Scenic West Athletic Conference with 15.8 points per game and second in rebounds with 9.6.

"Tugce definitely came back in excellent shape," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "She's very strong right now and ready to go."

Carlson added that local products Kama Griffitts (5-11) of Coeur d'Alene High and Camille Reynolds (5-5) from Lakeland High also have improved their strength during the offseason.

Both were selected to the Region 18 all-tournament team as freshmen, with Griffitts being named first-team all-SWAC.

Griffitts was fourth in the league in scoring at 14.4 points per game and was second in free throw percentage at .832. She also led the league in three-point field goals with 79.

Reynolds averaged 7.9 points and 1.4 steals per game.

“Both Kama and Camille came into practice in great shape,” Carlson said. “It’s nice to have some of the better players on the team working hard throughout the summer to work on their game.”

Carlson added 6-2 sophomore Kiki Edwards-Teasley, who after missing six weeks due to a broken foot last season, is healthy and ready after averaging 7 points and 11 rebounds per game at the national tournament.

“She didn’t get much of the limelight last year, but she’s a huge part of the team right now,” Carlson said.

Carlson also added that former Coeur d’Alene High standout Deanna Dotts has recovered from a torn knee ligament that kept her out her freshman season at NIC.

“She made it through the entire season last year after missing the previous two years,” Carlson said. “She’s moving around about as well as she has since she got hurt her senior year of high school. Deanna’s a very smart player and has a lot of smarts on the floor. She really knows what’s going on and knows everyone’s positions.”

In addition to Griffitts and Reynolds, NIC has six capable guards, with 5-5 Amy Warbrick of Coeur d’Alene and Chantel Divilbiss (5-7) from Moscow also back.

“Amy started at the point most of last year,” Carlson said. “She’s a solid, strong kid. Chantel had a terrific game when we scrimmaged Lewis-Clark State (last Friday). I really like our depth at guard right now.”

Amanda Carlton (6-1) from Shadle Park of Spokane and Timena Shebala (5-6) from Moscow High also figure to see minutes as returning sophomores this season.

“Amanda’s going to play a bunch this year,” Carlson said. “She’s worked hard over the offseason and she’s getting tough. She’s a good role player for us. Timena is in the same kind of category. She didn’t get a lot of time last year, but she’s already playing a strong game right now. She should be able to get some time on the court also.”

Freshmen Julia Salmio, a 6-1 forward from Vantaa, Finland, and Korina Baker, a 5-7 guard from Valleyford, Wash., round out this year’s roster.

“Julia’s coming along well and getting used to our system,” Carlson said. “She does some excellent things around the basket and should be able to replace what Katie (Sanders) brought to the team and should be able to step right in. Korina is a strong, physical guard and should give us a boost at the guard spot. We couldn’t have gotten two better freshmen to push our sophomores on the court and make everyone better at the same time.”

Sadie Lazzarini, a reserve from Colfax, did not return to NIC for her sophomore season for academic reasons.

Carlson predicts a three-team race for this season’s SWAC title among the Cardinals, 12th-ranked Southern Idaho and 26th-ranked Salt Lake.

“CSI doesn’t have the big bundle of young kids this year,” Carlson said. “They’ve got a lot of explosive guards. Salt Lake returns Haley Holmstead — who led the league in scoring — and two good post players and with a coach like Betsy (Specketer), they’ll be contenders.”

Teams only play each other three times in league this season, after playing each other four times last year.

“Our league is flat-out tough,” Carlson said. “But at least we’re not playing a 20-game schedule. We’ve set big goals for our team, really high goals. The toughest thing to do is get out of this region and that road goes through CSI this season.”

CSI hosts the Region 18 tournament March 3-5 in Twin Falls.

“We want to get to a place that’s higher that we were last year,” Carlson said. “We want to get into a position where we’re playing for a national championship. We’ve got a chance to do that, but we’ve got a few hoops to go through first.”