Half of the Oregon State women's basketball team already knows the drill.

Returnees Talisa Rhea, Kirsten Tilleman, Stacey Nichols, Julie Futch, Anita Burdick, Brittany Kennedy and Kassandra McCalister are versed in the offensive and defensive systems and understand the pace, intensity and physicality of Division I basketball.

However, the other half - freshmen Tayler Champion, Kate Lanz, Angela Misa and Haiden Palmer, and junior college All-American transfers El Sara Greer and Eisha Sheppard - will be tested for the first time tonight when the Beavers face Concordia in their exhibition opener.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Gill Coliseum.

"The people coming back understand how to run the system," coach LaVonda Wagner said . "The newbies must pick up the system quickly because there are more of them than there are veterans.

"I'm very impressed with the leadership, and knowledge of the game, of the upperclassmen. Our big thing is, we have to take two different mindsets and bring them together to make one team.

"It's a process and right now the process is not happening as quickly as I would like. But everyone is working hard to bring (the new players) up to speed."

Wagner said she has not determined a starting lineup but it's very probable that Rhea, a junior, and Tilleman, a sophomore, will be on the floor for the opening tip. Rhea started every game for last year's 20-12 WNIT squad and is the Beavers' top returning scorer (13.5 ppg). Tilleman cracked the starting five at midseason and is the top returning rebounder (4.1 rpg).

"The people who are game-ready, the people who I feel are in position to help us on this journey, are the people who will play," Wagner said. "I want to see a group execute the things we've been drilling, and understand what they're executing.

"I want to see us attack, execute and finish."

Wagner said the players are eager for a game, but that it's the reps in practice that improve the fundamental skills that make players - especially inexperienced ones - game-ready and translate into victories.

"The main (adjustment) for them is being in a 40-minute game, the speed of the game. (College) is faster, more physical, things happen very, very quickly and you have to make quick decisions," Wagner said.

"Teaching young people how to play the game, how to think the game, is where we are right now. This team will get better and better as the season goes along and the more games they get."

Freshman Amaya Gastaminza, a 6-2 wing who played on the Spanish U19, U18 and U16 national teams, has a leg injury and is out indefinitely.

The Beavers crushed Concordia 87-39 in an exhibition last season; Rhea had three 3-pointers and 17 points overall. However, the Cavaliers eventually finished 29-4 overall and they are ranked 21st in the NAIA Division II preseason Top 25.

The Cavaliers are led by 6-4 senior post Ann Snodderly (10.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and 5-10 junior forward Danielle Clauson (11.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg), the only full-time returning starters.

OSU hosts Lewis & Clark at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 in its final exhibition, and opens the regular season against Cal Poly at 7 p.m.Nov. 13, also at Gill Coliseum.