There was much talk about streaks during the first half of the 2005-06 season for the Massachusetts women’s basketball team – losing streaks. The Minutewomen lost four in a row between Dec. 1-10 and six in a row between Dec. 31 and Jan. 15. Since then, however, the chatter regarding the Minutewomen is now revolving around a different type of streak – the winning kind.

When UMass (9-14, 6-6 Atlantic 10) takes the hardwood against Xavier (17-7, 8-5 A-10) tonight, it will be looking for its fourth straight win, since knocking off Rhode Island Feb. 2 at the Ryan Center, and it would be its seventh win out of the last eight contests.

Coincidently, Xavier is also working on a streak of its own, winning five out of its last six.

On the other end of the spectrum, St. Bonaventure, which UMass will face Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Mullins Center, has dropped four straight games, capped off by a 62-41 loss to George Washington on Feb. 12.

With UMass putting up 57.4 points per game as a team this season, and Xavier averaging a whopping 71.7, the Minutewomen’s fate will be left up to defensive execution.

“Our focus is defense, we’ve been focusing on defense all week,” UMass coach Marnie Dacko said.

While Xavier has several weapons that it can utilize tonight, the name Tara Boothe is one that the entire A-10 fears.

Boothe is averaging and A-10-high 20.5 points per game, is second in the conference in rebounding with 8.9 per game and holds the best field goal percentage, with a mark of .512.

“We need to just limit [Boothe’s] touches and need to be able to really focus on defense,” Dacko said. “We need to not get in a run game with them, because we’re not going to win that battle.”

The Bonnies on the other hand are a team on the downfall. With an overall season record of 8-15, there is only one team in the A-10 lower than them in the standings (Fordham).

The last time the Minutewomen faced St. Bonaventure, the light at the end of the tunnel was dim – very dim. After falling to the Bonnies, 68-62, the Minutewomen’s record slipped to 3-11, and the contest marked the third straight conference-loss.

Less than two weeks following that loss, UMass began its late-season surge and would inevitably turn its season around completely.

“We’re resilient,” Dacko said. “These young ladies have proven to be resilient, they scrap and now they know how to win ball games.”

Led by sophomores Pam Rosanio (12.7 points per game) and Kate Mills (28 blocks), the Minutewomen have been able to make something out of what was once a lost season.

One aspect that Dacko views as an attribute to the team’s new ability to win games is its capability to make free throws. After the conclusion of the 2004-05 season, the Minutewomen’s free throw percentage was a mark of .584, making 232-of-397.

After the team’s 68-63 win over Fordham on Sunday, the Minutewomen moved up to No. 1 overall in free throw shooting in the A-10, making 301-of-424 this season so far, and holding an impressive mark of .710.

“It’s been quite a turnaround for us,” Dacko said. “We try to focus on free throws everyday in practice and it’s a mindset. [Free throw shooting] has proven to win ball games for us and we have to keep doing that.”