With the regular season coming to a close, members of Emerson’s women’s basketball team said they are proud of what they’ve accomplished so far. The team has an overall record of 11-13 and a conference record of 5-10.

Currently, the Lions are tied with Smith College and have a one-game lead over Wellesley College for the final spot in the playoffs. They have only one game remaining against Clark University, which is last in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference standings. 

There are so many scenarios for the playoffs that it’s still impossible to forecast first-round matchups, according to head coach Bill Gould.

“The way I look at it, we have been very competitive,” said Gould, “and I believe that [other teams] know we are good, and no one is excited about playing us.”

Gould said the strength of the bench and defense is part of the team’s improvement from last year.

“Our depth has truly made a difference in our season,” Gould said. “Having young kids with skills adds to practices and gives us the ability to compete and play hard. We can get a full scrimmage in at practice.”

Gould said the effort and talent on defense this year has been its best in years.

“Our defense this season has been much better than the past,” said Gould, “and Janissa Delzo, who is remarkable, leads our defense. We have a strong group of defensive players and that has made a huge difference.”

Senior forward and co-captain Macy Day also had high praise for freshman guard Eastin Ashby, who has put up over 20 points twice so far this season.

“[Ashby] enters the game and sets a new pace no matter what level of play the game was at,” said Day. “Everyone plays off of her when she is in the game.”

Gould said the freshman class as a whole had emerged as strong players this season.

“Maya Savino started every game for us except for one because of an injury,” Gould said. “I also see Sierra Ducey as having the potential of being the most impactful down the road.”

Savino, a guard, said the competitive nature of their team has been key. 

“I think we are at our best when we’re working together and working well off of each other’s success,” she said. 

Gould said two games come to mind when he thinks back on the season, and though they both resulted in a loss, the team demonstrated its potential.

“We played Wesleyan [University] in St. Thomas, came out with a loss, but it was easily the best game we played,” Gould said. “Also, when we played Wheaton [Institute of Technology] at home, I felt as though it was the first game that we convinced ourselves that we belong in the league.”

The Lions will play at Clark on Saturday, which will finalize the NEWMAC standings.