It’s a good sign when a coach and his players are not satisfied after a convincing victory over a solid team. That’s exactly how the Eastview girls’ basketball team felt after last Saturday’s 55-41 victory over Class 3A, No. 5-ranked Orono.

“Sloppy,” coach Paul Goetz said.

More good news: The Lightning have the time and personnel to continue improving.

Senior twins Alex and Amanda Beckman, along with senior guard Jenna Dockter, bring three returning starters to the floor. It immediately establishes a quick, tall and athletic core to build around.

Goetz wants the Lightning to use that athleticism and team mentality towards stout defense, which will in turn create offensive opportunities for the girls to work their magic.

They’ve also got grit, a traditional Eastview trait that’s helped the program become a consistent winner. Goetz believes in his veterans and hopes the newcomers will follow suit.

“Those kids play real hard and they’re scrappy and tenacious,” Goetz said. “That’s the way we’ve always played and the kids know that and hopefully those young kids see that and learn from them.”

The three-sport Beckman twins, who have recently committed to the University of Minnesota for track and field, have the natural ability to get to the basket, along with a smooth shooting stroke.

They’re tough to cover because of their athleticism, quickness and aggressiveness. They bring the same mind-set on defense.

“We knew this year we had to come back scrappy and work for everything, so defense is definitely one of the major things that we work on in practice,” Alex Beckman said.

And their chemistry, well … they’ve been playing together since kindergarten. Let’s not forget sharing dinners, school and the same friends — things that can naturally create a rift here and there. But like true captains, they check it at the door when it comes time to work.

“Sometimes you can tell we’re fighting at home and then we have to come to basketball and we’re like OK, just put it aside for now and we’ll fight after,” Alex said.

And then there’s Dockter, a fellow senior and overlooked worker who contributes at both ends of the floor. Goetz called her one of his favorite players to coach in all of his 22 years.

“That kid plays hard. I think she’s definitely a college-type kid,” Goetz said. “She’d run through a wall for you.”

Dockter, who scored 21 points in a season-opening victory against Centennial, still has room to grow, Goetz said. The captain will be a key figure in any Lightning success, which will no doubt have its traditional obstacles.

Lakeville North might have been dubbed the preseason favorite in Class 4A, Section 3 and the South Suburban Conference, but that could change after the Panthers’ early loss to Hopkins.

Eastview has been knocking on their door the last couple years, and it appears they’ll be waiting for the challenge once again.

“I think we’re ready to go back there and win,” Alex Beckman said.