Six in a row…really?!?! The Mustangs are hitting the midseason mark in stride as they are riding an impressive six-game winning streak going into tonight’s game at Southern Miss (7 p.m. on CBS College or KAAM 770 AM).

SMU's bench players need to continue contributing, because players like Delisha Wills will remain the focus of opposing defenses (photo by SMU athletics).

This winning streak is a result of the roles of the team becoming more clearly defined. The usual suspects have shown that they can lead the team on the floor, those being Brittany Gilliam and Delisha Wills. Gilliam and Wills have been more than impressive on the floor, displaying their confidence and ability to be the top scorers night in and night out. It is great to see these two rise to the occasion this year as the premier players on the team, but they are not the main reason for this winning streak.

The team is winning due to multiple players stepping up. On any given night, we could see Alice Severin, Elbie Gates, Morgan Shell, Haley Day or Christine Elliott step up and have a game-winning performance. In just the last eight games, we have seen career-high scoring performances from Morgan Shell, Haley Day, Alicia Mitcham and Christine Elliott. Rhonda Rompola is showing that she has a lethal bench, which makes it extremely difficult for a team to scout an opponent. Having a bench as deep as we have makes it difficult for any team to prepare for the Mustangs.

With all of the weapons the Mustangs have, we will need all of those weapons this week as the Mustangs prepare for their toughest test in conference play. The players have shown they can win on the road against great teams, like TCU, but this week … this week is in the conference – these games will matter more than the rest. The Ponies will face Southern Miss, the team they are currently tied first with in Conference USA. The Mustangs have fared well being the underdog so far this year, and I think they can win again if they stay calm and use the weapons they have. Southern Miss will be keying in on Wills and Gilliam, so it will be imperative for the rest of the players to step up and look for their shots and hit the boards.

In addition to the physical toughness of playing Southern Miss on the road, the Mustangs also will need to show focus and maturity as they will have to deal with the excitement and distraction of having this game on national TV in front of what is expected to be a huge crowd.

The Mustangs will win this week if they continue to play as a team and fill in the roles needed to get the win on the road.