After starting 4-0 in conference play, the women’s basketball team has dropped three of its last four conference matchups, all of which took place in the past eight days.

Two of those conference games came last weekend, with one ending in double overtime.

“The chemistry is still there,” senior forward Ja’Nia McPhatter said. “We just have to work a little harder.”

It was not going to be an easy weekend, as the Pioneers had to travel to Indiana University (IU) East Friday for the first of two games. IU East was the No. 21 ranked team in the National Athletic Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) entering the contest, sitting atop the River States Conference (RSC) standings.

Point Park struggled with the same issues against IU East that it had the week before against Midway University. The Pioneers were outrebounded 52-29 on the night.

“We have to put a body on someone,” junior point guard Maryssa Agurs said. “We can’t just stand and think the ball is going to come to us. We have to want it more.”

Despite Point Park having a cold start to the game, the Pioneers held its own in the first half against, arguably, the best team in the conference. Heading into halftime, they were only staring at an 11 point deficit, 47-36.

IU East would remain hot to start the second half. The Red Wolves shot 53 percent from the field for the entire game. On the other end, Point Park only shot 37 percent from the field, making 29 of 78 shots.

Point Park tried to keep pace with IU East after halftime. Its defense forced 21 turnovers and McPhatter had 15 of her 17 points in the second half, but Point Park came up short in the end with 95-81.

“They’re much better than their ranking,” head coach Tony Grenek said of IU East. “We definitely competed, and it was a battle.”

Four Pioneers finished the game in double figures. Agurs led all Point Park scorers with 19. Senior Celina DiPietro had ten in the first half and would finish the game with 15, while freshman, Tyra James, had 11 off the bench.

There was no time to rest, as Point Park had to get ready for an afternoon game the following day at Ohio Christian University (OCU).

The Pioneers drew first blood one minute and 25 seconds into the game on a DiPietro three point field goal. They would hold onto that lead all the way until halftime where the team led the Trailblazers 34-28.

The game remained tight out of halftime. Point Park held onto the lead despite ending being outrebounded and not taking care of the basketball.

It wouldn’t be until there was 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter that the OCU Trailblazers would get its first lead of the game.

After contributing nine points and seven rebounds, Agurs fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

With 16 seconds left and Point Park up 57-56, sophomore guard Kaitlyn Smith went to the charity stripe for two shots. She was able to make one of two shots, and Point Park led 58-56.

There was time for one last possession for the Trailblazers. They could tie it up or even possibly end it.

Erinn Bailey, a senior forward from Ohio Christian, finished the game with 19 points. But 17 of those were not as important as the two she had to push the game into overtime with four seconds left in regulation.

After the Pioneers led for the majority of the contest, they were headed to overtime with the Trailblazers.

One overtime was not enough to settle this duel. After both teams only settled for three points in the extra minutes, it was going to take a second overtime to decide the winner.

Junior forward Baylee Buleca was then the culprit of her fifth personal foul, and Point Park was without its leading rebounder heading into a double overtime.

Point Park ended up on the wrong end of this one when it reached its conclusion, 68-64.

“We couldn’t hit shots whenever time was running,” DiPietro said. “We need to have better effort during the games.”

Point Park has now gone 2-5 in its last seven games and with the two losses this weekend the Pioneers now have a 5-3 conference record. All three of those losses have come in the past eight days.

“We’re all sticking together and no one’s pointing fingers,” Agurs said. “We need to find the little things we’re doing wrong and I think we’ll end up on top.”

Point Park travels to Brescia and IU Southeast this weekend for two more RSC matchups.