Tiffany Coppage sung the notes of Beethoven Fifth Symphony as she walked out of the player's tunnel at JQH Arena for the first time.

Then, the senior on the Missouri State women's basketball team playfully tapped her toe on the court, grinned at members of the media, and walked across the court to set down her playbook.

She was the first Lady Bear to step on the court on the first day of practice at the new arena. Her steps were the first of what the Lady Bears hope will be many successful ones this season and beyond.

"To be the first one to what will turn into the first practice, it's just overwhelming," Coppage said as she looked around the arena.

"(The arena) is pretty. It just looks like you're looking at a picture. I'm speechless. It's that nice."

It wasn't just the Lady Bears' first practice at JQH. It was the first practice for either of the home teams. The men's basketball team practices there today.

Coppage made the first basket, as well, grabbing a ball from the rack and attempting several shots at the west goal before she was joined by Casey Garrison, Maggie Dwyer and the rest of her teammates.

The players were excited to finally play under JQH Arena's bright lights, and junior Roxy Stiles said the Lady Bears had to be careful not to overlook today's game at Tulsa.

"It's tough," Stiles said. "I'm looking so forward to this weekend that I have to focus on (today) first. It's definitely one of our winnable games."

The Lady Bears and Tulsa play at 7 p.m. today. MSU is 0-1 after a 67-64 season-opening loss at Southeast Missouri State last Friday.

The players were more excited than usual before practice, but they quickly got down to business once practice started.

"They've had their fun and excitement here in shootaround," Lady Bears coach Nyla Milleson said before practice. "Once we get going, it's going to be practice. I think they're going to settle in. We've got a game to play and goals to reach."

Still, there was no denying it was a special day.

Milleson herself gave a little shout of excitement as she came out of the tunnel. She smiled when asked about it and said it wasn't every day her team got to be the first to play in an arena.

JQH isn't quite finished. Workers were painting some of the concrete walls, and the door locks on the event level hadn't all been installed.

But it was enough to impress the Lady Bears. Coppage told Garrison, "It's like looking at a poster" before the shootaround.

"It's a new beginning, a new start," Garrison had said Monday. "In (Hammons Student Center), there's so much tradition and things like that. Now we get to carry that tradition over to the other gym."

The Lady Bears play their first game at JQH at 2 p.m. Sunday against Arkansas State. The men have their first home game Saturday night against Arkansas.

Coppage said she didn't plan on being the first player out at practice even though she arrived at the court a full 20 minutes early.

"I actually didn't know that we were practicing in here today," Coppage said. "I left early for class (during Monday's practice), and luckily somebody told me before I was in the other gym.

"I'm glad that I was the first one."