By: Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

A baseball fan, Ed Swanson often has a seamhead analogy at the ready. In this case, it's while discussing his team's five-game winning streak and third-place status in the Colonial Athletic Association standings.

 "Momentum is only as good as the next day's pitcher," said Swanson, in his seventh and so far best season as William & Mary's women's basketball coach. "That's the energy and effort in our preparation, and that starts Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (in practice).

"That's when we start gaining momentum in what we're trying to do and what our game plan is. … That's where I hope to keep this team at."

With its best record after 24 games since 1993-94, the Tribe (18-6, 9-4) is in sole possession of third place in the CAA standings. With five games remaining in the regular season, starting Friday night at first-place Drexel (18-6, 11-1), W&M is in a good place and playing its best basketball of the season.

Contributions are coming from several places. The most obvious is Eva Hodgson, who is averaging 20 points a game and is the only player in Division I with shooting percentages better than 50 from the field, 40 from the 3-point arc, and 90 from the free throw line.

Forward Victoria Reynolds is having another solid year at 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Gabby Rogers, Nyla Pollard, Sydney Wagner, Bre Bellamy, Bailey Eichner, and Chaniqwa Gilliam are all averaging at least 12 minutes a game.

 In last Friday's win over Northeastern, Hodgson scored only five points in 12 foul-shortened minutes through the first three quarters. The Tribe still led 56-49. W&M didn't just keep pace without its star, it built a lead.

 "What I like about this team is they continue to get better," Swanson said. "We've gotten better in a lot of areas that I've been really happy with."

 In its five-game winning streak, W&M is shooting 47.4 percent from the field and averaging 75.6 points. The Tribe is first nationally in free throw percentage (.809) and 19th in assists (16.8 per game).

But, as Swanson said, it's all about the next day's pitcher. And Friday's opponent has a talented lineup.

Since losing its conference opener at Charleston on Jan. 3, Drexel has won 11 consecutive games. That's tied for the 11th-longest active winning streak in D-I.

The Dragons' wins have come by blowouts (four by at least 16 points) and close finishes (four by seven points or fewer). Drexel is shooting only 39 percent from the field but is holding the opposition to 40 percent and forcing 19 turnovers a game.

In the earlier meeting on Jan. 26 at Kaplan Arena, the Dragons took a 9-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. W&M spent the rest of the afternoon trying to catch up and eventually forced three ties — the last one with 8:52 remaining.

Drexel then went on a 10-0 run to seal a 61-54 win.

"That quick 9-0 run is where we lost the game," Swanson said. "When you look at it in its entirety, we played hard, we fought back, but you can't spot someone a nine-nothing lead in the first two minutes of the game."

From Philadelphia, the Tribe will bus to Newark to go against Delaware (9-14, 5-7). After that, W&M will play its final three regular-season games at home, including second-place James Madison in the finale.

No. 3 would be W&M's best seed since 1999. But that's not how Swanson is looking at it.

"Everybody is talking about, 'What do you have to do to secure the third seed?'" he said. "My attitude is, 'What can we do to win the one seed?' That's what I want my team thinking."