The LSU women’s basketball team had seven new faces this time last season.But the Lady Tigers will return nine letterwinners and four starters as they kick off the 2009 season in an exhibition game tonight at 7 p.m. against Loyola in the PMAC. LSU senior guard Allison Hightower said the team has shown a different energy, and “everybody is hustling” since practice began in October.”The level of intensity has definitely picked up from last year,” Hightower said. “We didn’t know anything last year, so [coaches] didn’t expect much of us. But this year they know we need to come out here and work as hard as we can … on both ends of the floor.”One familiar face who will not play for LSU in the exhibition game is senior point guard and 2009 co-captain Andrea Kelly. Kelly suffered a foot injury at the end of October, and LSU coach Van Chancellor said her status is uncertain for the regular season opener Nov. 15 at  home against Centenary.”Kelly’s foot is not broken — we’re waiting for it to heal,” Chancellor said. “It’s put us a bit behind. The best thing for her is rest.”Hightower, the 2010 Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, is expected to start the exhibition game along with junior point guard Latear Eason, junior guard Katherine Graham and sophomore forwards Courtney Jones and Taylor Turnbow.Jones played in every game for LSU as a freshman and ranked second on the team with 43 offensive rebounds. She underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery following the season.Eason is also coming off postseason surgery, as she injured her left collarbone in the second round of the 2009 NCAA tournament against Louisville. She started 19 games in her sophomore season, including the final 13 games — a span in which LSU went 9-4 — and averaged 3.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists.Turnbow was more of a defensive contributor for LSU in 2008 and finished second among SEC freshmen with 1.0 blocks per game. Graham was LSU’s leading rebounder last season, averaging five per game.Chancellor said he is confident in the team’s defense.”I feel really good about our progress defensively,” Chancellor said. “We’ll be able to carry on this Lady Tiger tradition.”Hightower said one area of focus this fall has been transition defense.”Last year it was just horrible, but we’re finally getting that down,” she said. “We want to make sure we play this game [against Loyola] to get better, not just to blow them away or anything like that.”Chancellor said the exhibition will be a good benchmark for how far the Lady Tigers have come since last season.”They can get tired of going against each other,” Chancellor said. “We’ll see how they react to the crowd and the refereeing [Tuesday].”–Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]