Intensity is rising on the court as the women’s basketball team heads into their last few games prior to playoffs.

The Mustangs have proven themselves to be strong competitors after overcoming early season losses and pushing their way to a winning record of 12-7 as of Feb. 9.

Coach Jackie Boswell speaks with pride about her team and the successes they have had this season. The Mustangs began the year with half the team being new to the squad. Boswell says the team “learned a lot from the losses early on,” adding that they have become better leaders, a factor that has contributed to their most recent success.

The team currently is in second place in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), behind Albright. Although the team is in a favorable position for playoffs, senior guard/forward Caitlin Roy said that “the ultimate goal is to defend our MAC title and to go further (than last year) in the NCAA tournament.” Last season the team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Montclair State University, and completed the season with an impressive record of 24-4.

Although the Mustangs are aiming high this season, the players make sure to treat each game as a challenge and view no competitor as an easy target. Sophomore guard Imani Sanders said the team is “taking it game by game and focusing on whatever obstacle is currently in front of us.”

Junior forward Sara Tarbert was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for the second time this year, having also been selected to the team on Jan. 5. Tarbert was also named the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week for the fourth time this season for the week of Feb. 2.

In early February, the Mustangs went into game 18 of the season against Widener Pride on a seven-game winning streak. They continued their streak after beating Widener 72-63, but lost to Elizabethtown College by six points on Feb. 8. The team will head into the last four games of the regular season with the determination to win.

Boswell says she hopes students and faculty can enjoy this experience as much as the team has, and continue to cheer on and support the team.