With two games left in the regular season, the Georgia Southern University women’s basketball team (9-17, SoCon 7-8) is looking to find the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

After a season littered with three four-game losing streaks, a 65-point loss to the University of Kentucky and averaging nine points less than their opponents, the Lady Eagles have reasons to be discouraged at this point. However, every team in the Southern Conference participates in the SoCon Tournament.

Winning the SoCon tournament would allow the Lady Eagles to move on into the NCAA Tournament. Which may seem far-fetched to most but it is definitely accomplishable.

In 2008 the University of Georgia basketball men’s team entered the SEC Tournament with a losing record and was forced to play and win three games within a 30-hour time span. They ended up winning the SEC Tournament Championship and moved on to the NCAA Tournament.

Advancing into the NCAA Tournament is not the only reason the Lady Eagles must keep winning.  With three senior starters, an example of winning and perseverance must be set going into next year. Seniors Mimi Dubose, Lacie Dowling and Danielle Spencer must leave a tradition of winning behind for others to follow.

Head coach Chris Vozab has plenty of reason to keep winning. In her second season as head coach her win total has moved from eight last year to nine currently.  Vozab is held in high esteem by her players for her coaching abilities. She needs to keep winning for a similar reason as the seniors, to establish a tradition of winning in GSU women’s basketball.

With an average attendance of 424 fans per game, the Lady Eagles would love to put more fans in the seats. Students as well as the residents of Statesboro get excited when GSU has winning teams, they will give far more support to winning programs. Higher attendance means louder crowds for opponents and extra money to pump into the program to help stabilize a winning tradition.

If the Lady Eagles can battle themselves into sixth in the SoCon, then they will have a bye for the first round of play and only need to win three games to be crowned SoCon champions and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

It’s time for the women’s basketball program at GSU to earn their respect. With solid play, high intensity and maximum effort there is no reason why they can’t win the SoCon. However, they need to win out through the regular season to make things easier on themselves. In other words, work smart not hard.