Having finished with a record of 16 wins and 13 losses with eight wins in their final ten games last season, the women’s basketball team was expected to begin their 2003 campaign with a bang.

Despite those high expectations, and a 2-0 start in the pre-season, the team lost three straight to start the regular season.

The low point of that streak was an 85-29 blow-out loss to the University of Connecticut.

Head Coach Pam Tanner said she believed that having faced tough non-conference opponents, such as UConn, early in the season has prepared the Pioneers well for their conference opponents.

So far Tanner has been right – the team has pulled it together since losing six of eight to start the season, and is now in the midst of a four game winning streak.

The Pioneers’ have also won eight of their last 10 games, the team however, has only just gotten over .500 for the season.

With nine games left in the regular season, the team still has a shot of making it to the NCAA tournament with a good season ending run.

Fortunately for the Pioneers, they play four more games at home, where they hold a 5-2 record.

The end of the season Sun Belt Conference tournament will be held on the road, where the Pioneers have only three wins to their five losses, although all of those wins are inter-conference.

The team has not lost a conference game on the road, but they have yet to win a conference game at home.

In non-conference games the situation is almost completely reversed; every one of the Pioneers home wins and every one of their road losses have come in non-conference games.

With the many injuries that the team has sustained recently, they have done a good job at keeping their heads above water.

Tonight the team is on the road against New Mexico State and again next Saturday.

The team will be home again Feb. 5 against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.