MILWAUKEE – The 2016-17 basketball season begins today for the Mount Mary University Blue Angels. MMU is looking to build on the strides made from their 5-15 season in 2015-16. With added experience to four returning varsity Blue Angels, this year's team is looking to make another step towards success.

Last season's team began the year facing off against some of the region's top talent including a game against then ranked number six in the NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. After going 1-6 in the first seven games, the Blue Angels began the second half of the season with a 44-29 win against Illinois Tech (0-24) which picked up the momentum for MMU.

The Blue Angels then snapped a five game losing streak against Moody Bible (2-12) in a lopsided 60-40 victory. Following that, the Blue Angels again defeated the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Tech as MMU won their first pair of consecutive games since the 2011-12 season.

Of the returners from last season, Becky Onan (Jr./Grafton, Wis.) lead the offensive charge and the Blue Angels in most categories. Onan finished the 2015-16 campaign with 14.1 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, 1.7 steals per game and 3.0 blocks per game.

Along with Onan, Jess Runge (Sr./Freedom, Wis.) and Ariel Oviedo (Sr./Shawano, Wis.) provided a big lift to the MMU offense as they both averaged 3.1 assists per game in 2015-16. The transfers also provided the most effective offensive boost from a defensive play as the guards finished on top of the Great South Athletic Conference in steals. Runge finished with 2.8 steals per game while Oviedo finished third in the GSAC with 2.3 steals per game.

Taylor Yordt (So./Omaha, Neb.) Averaged 23 minutes in her six games played last season. Yordt averaged 1.2 steals per game, 2.2 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game and 2.2 points per game in her time on the court in 2015-16.

"We are a better shooting team. I don't think there is any question about that," Mount Mary Head Basketball Coach Marc Heidorf said. "Especially at long range shooting."

Three freshmen and one sophomore transfer round out the rest of the Blue Angels roster for 2016-17. Nicole Holstein (So./New Berlin, Wis.) transfers in from Lakeland University. In Holstein's limited time she averaged .7 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, .4 assists and .5 steals per game played.

Lucy Pavelko will join the Blue Angels in 2016-17. Freshman Pavelko comes from Musekgo, Wis. and looks to play in the guard position for MMU this season.

Brooke Uebersetzig (Fr./Greenwood, Ind.) played 34 games at the varsity level for Greenwood High School. In her senior year, Uebersetzig played 25 of those games averaging 5.5 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game and .9 steals per game.

Rae Grubbs (Fr./Covington, Ind.) comes to the Blue Angels from North Vermillion High School where she played 54 games in her two years on varsity. Grubbs averaged 12.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game and .8 steals per game in her senior year at North Vermillion.

"I think we are a quicker team. So some of the defenses that we put on last year are going to look even more effective," adds coach Heidorf.

Looking to get their season underway tonight at the Bloechl Center, MMU will face Marian University. The Sabres went 6-19 last year including a 61-30 win over the Blue Angels in November of 2015. Marian was picked to finish 10^th in the 12 team Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

Game one of the 2016-17 season begins at 7:00 pm. Live stats, video and play-by-play will be made available for all home basketball games this season for the Blue Angels. The new partnership with BoxCast will make the games more available to a wider array of viewing options. All the links for the games can be found at mtmaryathletics.com under the team's schedule page.

Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com for all updates concerning the Blue Angels this season.