Ball control was questionable during Montevallo’s season opener. Turnovers helped lead to a first-game loss to Oak Mountain, 53-51, and the Bulldogs only blemish on the schedule.

The Montevallo girls’ basketball team hosts the Class 3A, Area 5 tournament this week after winning its last 27 games of the season. Now everything starts over.

“The end of the original road ended Saturday. This week starts the road to Birmingham,” Dawgs head coach Tena Niven said.

The new road begins at home Thursday when the Bulldogs take on LAMP at 7:30 p.m. And Niven wants her team to put the 27-1 record behind them.

“I always keep in their head that you can be beaten,” she said.

Most of the year, Montevallo has blown past its opponents, sitting its starters early in the first half. Something that may continue through the area tournament, but is sure to change with sub-region.

“It’s been hard having to sit there, because you’re ready to play,” senior point guard Alisha Gentry said.

But Gentry, who is closing in on 1,300 career points, isn’t worried about being able to play a whole game, because of the level of conditioning at practice.

Niven said the hardest part may be keeping the intensity on, after using the on/off switch all season.