The Norwalk girls basketball team makes their anticipated season debut tonight, hosting Urbandale in non-conference action at 7:00 p.m. The game can be heard live on 94.3 KNIA and the KNIA3 stream, beginning with pregame coverage at 6:45.

Led by Iowa’s top scorer last year in Bailey Birmingham, the Warriors return most of the roster from an 18-5 season. They have also added some promising freshmen and other newcomers to the program. Norwalk head coach Joe Sigrist tells KNIA Sports that the team’s six seniors are showing great leadership in practice, and he is excited to get the season underway. Sigrist adds that the Warriors will feature a much deeper rotation compared to last year’s squad.

“We are going to be really deep, we’re going to be up-tempo… pressure teams, and then if we get tired we’re going to be able to put a couple girls in and not miss a beat,” Sigrist said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the style of basketball that I like to play come to fruition.”

Urbandale lost to Norwalk 76-55 in last year’s opener and finished the season 5-18 overall. Tonight marks the first of three pre-Thanksgiving games for the Warriors, who will play at ADM on Monday night and host Bondurant-Farrar on Tuesday.