With four games remaining in the season, the women’s basketball team is seeing green.

In order for the South Hill squad to ensure home-court advantage in the latter rounds of the Empire 8 tournament, there is just one thing left to do as this season begins to wind down – win out the rest of the schedule.

At 12–9 overall (10–2 in the Empire 8), the Bombers, who clinched a berth in the Empire 8 tournament with a 61–53 win against Elmira College Tuesday night, have proven they will be a formidable opponent for any team in early March. Despite recent success, the defending conference champion Bombers remain behind Stevens Institute of Technology at second place in the conference, which is where they have been for the majority of this season.

With that in mind, sophomore guard Katherine Bixby said she understands the importance of the remaining four games, all of which are against conference opponents.

“We just have to play consistently and confidently,” Bixby said. “We are a good team and can definitely win out until the NCAA tourney. We just have to know that, play together, play hard and focus on our game plans.”

Bixby’s focus can hardly be questioned right now as she comes off of a career week, one in which she was named the Empire 8 Player of the Week. Bixby earned her recognition by matching a career-high 21 points in the 85–65 win against St. John Fisher College.

The Bombers played one of their best games of the season in their 20-point rout against the Cardinals in the Ben Light Gymnasium last Friday. Instrumental in the victory, alongside Bixby, were junior guard Megan Rumschik, who also netted 21 points, including five three-point field goals, and sophomore guard Lindsay Brown, who continued her good play with 13 points.

Rumschik said the victory against St. John Fisher will help put the Bombers in the right frame of mind as they head into the Empire 8 stretch.

“Any win over Fisher is a good win,” Rumschik said. “But beating them [with] the energy and intensity we had helped us realize if we play the way we did on Friday night, no one can beat us.”

The Bombers will certainly need that swagger as they prepare to tip off against a Stevens team next week that is undefeated in conference play. Despite the looming challenge, junior forward Tracy Bradley said the team is not looking past anyone.

“[Head Coach Dan Raymond] tells us before every game that we are now in a one-game championship, and the game we are playing at the time is the only game that matters, so right now, we aren’t thinking about our last E8 stretch,” she said. “We are just focused on taking care of what we need to do for tomorrow’s game.”

As the season winds down, the Bombers have given themselves the opportunity to make a run for a second consecutive Empire 8 title. With their new South Hill swagger, the Blue and Gold can only hope that they have not yet peaked.