The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy girls’ basketball team is eager to get back in action after a long break.

The Lady Saints haven’t officially played in a game in nearly a month. They last played Dec. 16 before heading into the holiday break. NSA was supposed to play Wednesday, but because of the winter storm, the game was postponed.

While practicing over the break, the Lady Saints spent a lot of time working on their defense. NSA has had a tough schedule to start out with, so coach Kim Aston believed that gave them an opportunity to work on some things they may not have done so well in those games.

“We learned some things about ourselves in those first few games,” Aston said. “We are not as strong on the offensive end as we have been in the past. Therefore, we have to generate more things on the defensive end. All break we have been working on our man-to-man defense.”

NSA didn’t compete in any holiday tournaments like they may have in previous years. Practice can only do so much when it comes to the simulation of an actual game, so it is likely NSA may experience a little bit of rust in their first game back on Tuesday. It may take a little while for the Lady Saints to get their wind back up and game legs back under them.

“I think some rust will show,” Aston said. “We have been doing some live scrimmaging, but that doesn’t really substitute the game atmosphere. I am hopeful that we have spent so much time on the defensive end that we will be a refined group when we finally get back out there on the court.

NSA schedule’s will shift into more conference play now that the break is over. They haven’t played a conference game up to this point in the season. However, Aston believes everything the Lady Saints have done beforehand has prepared them for conference play.

Aston has kept her team encouraged in its growth process. She started two eighth-graders in the last game they played. There is a lot of growth that can take place at the start of 2018 for the Lady Saints, and Aston knows her team will get there as long as they continue to compete.

The Lady Saints are eager to get back on the court and compete with other teams. Aston sees a team that worked hard over the break and joked that now all NSA needs is for the snow to get out of the way.

NSA will take on Norfolk Collegiate School at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday.