With just six games left in the Ohio Valley Conference, the four seniors on the women’s basketball team are still looking for a second win in the league.

While these four women would rather remember their senior year with game-winning shots at the buzzer, overtime wins and playoff accomplishments, the 1-9 record hasn’t allowed for such memories and now they are faced with frustration.

“It’s very frustrating. I thought we’d be better this year,” senior guard Renee Schaul said. “A lot of the teammates look to us and say `when?’ and I know I found myself getting low confidence because I just didn’t know what to say to them anymore. I just kept thinking `Here we go again.’ and when that happens it’s very hard to motivate the team.”

But as a senior, the team looks to Schaul for that kind of motivation. While she has received help from forward Angie Russell and guards Portery Scott and Colleen McShane, there is nothing left to say.

“We try to talk to the players individually to keep their heads up,” Scott said. “The freshmen are used to winning programs from their high schools, but we just tell them to keep doing what they’re doing. We try to give leadership.

“Our role as seniors is to show we’re not quitters. We have to show leadership and show we’re not going to give up. We need to give it our all because these are the last six guaranteed games of our lives.”

While the basketball court and academics have been a pair for these seniors since their childhood, looking into what could be their last six games of their lives pushed them even harder on the court. The time put into practice and the effort put forth by each player resonates throughout the rest of the team.

“We’ve worked so hard and our record doesn’t show how hard we’ve really worked,” McShane said. “The whole intensity level is different as a senior. Last year I always told myself I had another year, but now it’s really now or never. We have to step it up.

“We need to help the freshmen who are out there and we need to come together as a team. Hopefully it’ll pay off in these last six games.”

Balancing experience with new transitions has been the primary objective of the seniors this season, especially after having to make their own adjustments to head coach Linda Wunder last year.

“Last year was brand new and everyone needed to catch on and learn the new offense,” Scott said. “This year is a lot of the same thing because the freshmen need to make the transition and learn the new offense. But for the seniors, I think we fit into the offense more than last year and we try to pull the younger players with us as quickly as possible.”

With two freshmen in the starting line-up, it has been even more crucial for the seniors to gel the team together as quickly as possible.

“The new players did a great job. Pam (O’Connor) and Lauren (Dailey) have really stepped up as well as Tiffany (Rudak), Ronesha (Franklin) and Michelle (Lewis),” Schaul said. “They responded fast. It’s good they can come in as freshmen and have played as well as they have.

“Coach Wunder has done a good job picking out the people who really want to play. She makes you work,” Schaul said. We had a lot of people quit between coach Klein leaving and coach Wunder coming and she really picked out the hard-working players.”

This is also the first recruiting team for Wunder to place on the court and adjust to the whole collegiate experience.

“This year has been an easier transition because we now what Wunder will do,” Russell said. “Defense has changed this year, but the biggest difference is the people returning. We were able to step up and help the underclassmen. Last year we all had to step in blind.”

While last year was a major adjustment for the veterans on the team, Eastern pulled itself up and advanced to the playoffs. While this season was expected to be even brighter than last year, the team has suffered throughout the conference season.

“Last year seemed smoother,” McShane said. “We didn’t lose so many games in a row last year and this year we just can’t seem to get over the hump. This year is rocky.”

The frustration began to build following the 71-69 loss to Western on Dec. 7.

“We beat Minnesota and the expectations for the season were looking good,” Russell said. “We lost a few close games and it snowballed from there. Now I keep wondering where the time went. I almost wish I could start over and do things again.”

Perseverence through these last six games is what the seniors are hoping will bring them to the playoffs Feb. 27.

“Our seniors just keep reassuring the freshmen and we try to play as hard as we can,” Russell said. “If we do the things we have to out there, things have to turn around. They have to.”

Whether Eastern’s season ends Feb. 24 against Eastern Kentucky or continues into the playoffs will depend on the senior players.

“We’re going to take on a huge role,” Schaul said. “We’re going to be the ones that lead the team to the playoffs. It’s the last six games of our entire career and we have to take the responsibility. It’s our turn now and we need to make the best of it.”