After a 4-5 start to its conference schedule, the Gustavus Women’s Basketball team has caught fire by winning nine out of its last ten contests to move into fourth place with three games to play in the regular season.
After consecutive wins over Hamline and Carleton, the Gusties beat St. Catherine by a score of 77-63 on Wednesday. The Gusties begin their three-game homestand to close out the season on Saturday with a crucial game against defending conference champion St. Thomas.
“Our season has been up and down, kind of like a roller coaster, and hopefully we’re back on the upside,” Junior guard Ava Perry said. “We’re going to focus on getting some wins to close out the season and improve for the playoffs.”
After suffering consecutive losses at the hands of St. Thomas and St. Benedict—the teams with the two best records in MIAC play this season—the Gusties went on a six-game winning streak that gave the team a much needed spark.
“Our [six-game] winning streak definitely gave us more confidence and showed us what kind of team we can be,” Junoir Molly Geske said. “These last three games we’re looking to come away with three wins and finish strong so we can go into the playoffs with lots of confidence.”
The final week of regular season play begins with a home matchup against the Tommies. The Gusties are looking to avenge a heartbreaking 63-60 loss to St. Thomas in last season’s MIAC Semifinal, as well as a tightly contested 66-61 loss earlier this season in St. Paul.
“We’re definitely looking for revenge,” Geske said. “St. Thomas is always a big rival, and we always play close games against them, so it would be a huge win for us.”
As the game nears, the Gusties are making sure not to dwell on the previous two matchups between the two MIAC squads.
“Last year’s game was a shocker for us, but it proved to us that any game can come down to a matter of one possession,” Senior forward Molly Mathiowetz said. “We have to remember that we’re just as good as them, and that if we show up we have a good chance to win.”
With a playoff berth wrapped up, Gustavus now has its sights set on moving up into one of the top three spots in the MIAC standings to secure home court advantage for the first round.
“Home court would be really important for us because we’ve played really well on our court this season,” Geske said. “We would love to have it for the first game because it’s definitely a lot more fun and it’s a much better atmosphere to play in.”
In order to make the jump and overtake Concordia, the Gusties will have to focus on putting together a solid effort for the entirety of the game and put opponents away early.
“We need to make sure that we play a complete 40 minutes,” Mathiowetz said. “Going into the end of the season with the teams we have in our conference, we don’t want to be letting them back in the game.”
Coach Mickey Haller’s squad—which has prided itself on its ability to cause turnovers—currently ranks first in the MIAC in steals and turnover margin.
“Defense has always been our thing. When we’re all on the same page, we’re hard to score on,” Perry said. “The main thing we need to work on is communication on the floor. That’s what has been getting us into trouble in close games.”
Gustavus has proven to be the hottest team in the MIAC since the middle of January as a result of its defense causing turnovers and its offense sinking inside shots from the post.
“We are very confident right now as a team because we have been playing well together and finishing tough games,” Junior guard Colleen Ruane said. “We know what we have to do in order to be successful and we know that everyone can contribute to our success.”
Although the Gusties are assured of a spot in this year’s MIAC playoffs, the team has taken a small step backward from its 18-4 record last year that earned a share of the MIAC regular season title. Although the team has a different makeup this season, Ruane stresses that this season’s Gustavus squad can go just as deep in the playoffs.
“We are a new and younger team with different types of players from last year,” Ruane said. “We have a lot of talent on our team and although our record might not show it, I think we can prove it in playoffs.”
In addition to the recent hot streak, the team has had further reason to celebrate this season. Earlier in the season, the Gusties beat Concordia on the road for the first time in eight years to give Haller her 200th career victory at Gustavus.
“There have been lots of ups and downs just like any season,” Geske said. “We have definitely been improving over the course of the season, and we hope to reach our peak at playoff time when it’s most important.”
Perry stresses that while the Gusties are looking to close out the regular season strong, the playoffs are the team’s ultimate focus in the end.
“Once you hit the playoffs, it’s like a whole new season,” Perry said. “When we have a spot, we can forget about the regular season and focus on the games ahead.”
After reaching the MIAC semifinals in four of the last five seasons, the Gusties are hoping to finally break through and win their first MIAC playoff title.
“We’re hoping to advance all the way to the finals in the playoffs,” Geske said. “We definitely have the ability to do so, and come playoff time anything can happen.”