ADAMS TWP — In its attempt to improve on last year’s effort, which included trips to the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs, the Mars girls basketball team had the task of breaking in two new players to the starting lineup in junior guard Nichole Sommers and freshman swing player Bella Pelaia.

So far, so good.

Mars is off to a 4-1 start, most recently dominating Kiski Area in a 72-32 Section 4 home victory on Monday.

“I think those two have filled the roles left by the girls who graduated (Bri Buzard and Elise Sheehy),” Planet coach Dana Petruska said. “Nichole’s biggest issue last year was confidence, but she has worked on her game and is a year older.

“Bella’s youth coaches did her a service by playing her at both guard and forward. I did, too, last year when she was on the 8th-grade team. She has size (5-foot-9) but I also had her bring the ball up the floor.”

Sommers and Pelaia have been a strong complement to Mars’ top three players — senior guard Nicole McCloud, junior swingman Lauren Wasylson and sophomore point guard Tai Johnson. The trio combined for 48 points in Monday’s win. They serve as tri-captains for the team.

“They all bring a different type of leadership to the team,” Petruska said. “Tai is a silent leader. She runs her butt off. Any conditioning drill we do in practice, she’s first in everything.

“Nicole keeps it light and Lauren is a bit of both.”

The captains appreciate what the two newcomers have brought to the starting five.

“They’ve been able to add a lot,” said Wasylson. “You see the work they’re putting in and it’s going to pay off for us.”

Pelaia has been the team’s most consistent rebounder and she wasted no time, pulling down 11 boards in a season-opening win over Keystone Dec. 9.

“She’s been a constant horse for us in rebounding,” Petruska said. “Last year, Elise was our big rebounder. But I told the girls, you can only go so far with one girl getting them.”

As expected, junior forward Daria Hockenberry has been a valuable option off the bench.

“When she goes in for Bella, we don’t miss a beat,” added Petruska.

As for the team chemistry, that has been a smooth process as well.

“We hang out outside of basketball because we’re all friends,” said McCloud. “That’s really helped with the team bonding.”

The Planets’ 2015-16 season ended in heartbreaking fashion. A halfcourt shot by Mercyhurst Prep forced overtime, where the Lakers ousted the Planets, 50-45, in the first round of the state playoffs last March.

“That just makes us push harder,” McCloud said. “That wouldn’t have happened if we had scored more points earlier in the game. We look at each practice and try to get stronger.”

KISKI AREA 32

Harley Holloway 5 0-0 15, Mallory Shick 4 2-8 10, Katelyn Brown 1 1-3 3, Hannah Potter 1 1-2 4. Totals: 11 4-13 32.

MARS 72

Nicole McCloud 5 0-0 14, Daria Hockenberry 1 0-0 2, Nichole Sommers 3 0-0 6, Lauren Wasylson 7 3-3 20, Tai Johnson 4 5-6 14, Regan Kramm 1 0-0 2, Caroline Barent 3 1-2 7, Bella Pelaia 2 2-4 7, Rachel Bobko 0 0-0 0, Cassie Mueller 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 11-15 72.

Kiski Area 1 8 7 16 — 32

Mars32 19 13 8 — 72

3-point goals: Kiski Area 6 (Holloway 5, Potter); Mars 9 (McCloud 4, Wasylson 3, Johnson, Pelaia).

Wednesday: Mars at Montour