Averett University men's basketball earned the top seed in the USA South Conference's East Division and with it the right to host Tuesday's quarterfinal matchup against East No. 4 seed Southern Virginia University at 7:30 p.m. in the Grant Center. A week ago, Averett (14-11, 11-3 USA South) clinched the East Division with two regular season games to play and had won 11 consecutive conference contests and 12 of their last 13 games overall. The Cougars were riding high.
 
Momentum, though, is a fickle beast, and the Cougars struggled to find their groove last Thursday when Southern Virginia came to town. The Knights, at the time vying for the last playoff spot in the East Division, handed the Cougars their first conference loss since December. And then on Saturday, the Cougars lost their regular season finale to a Methodist University team that came in with a 3-20 record.
 
"I'm proud to say during that 11-game streak, there weren't many times where I felt like we got outworked," Averett head coach David Doino said. "We might have gotten out-executed or outsmarted by several teams, but I always felt like we put a great effort forward. That's been the disappointment over the last two games and the effort in which we attacked."
 
Walt Disney was quoted as saying, "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."
 
The Cougars believe those last two losses are more of an anomaly. If anything, it was a good chance to look in the mirror — or in their case film — and understand how to get back to what made them successful during that dominant run within the heart of the USA South schedule. This season, the Cougars have been no stranger to adversity. From starting the season 2-8 to dealing with illnesses and injuries that at one point left the team with only four players available to practice for several days, Averett has seen its fair share of hardships. Thus far, they've been able to bounce back from each one.
 
"I told the team the other day that it's not often you see teams put up an 11-game winning streak in conference at any level," Doino said. "Anytime you've got to go on the road and face conference opponents who are well-coached, you've got to be prepared every night. I was pleased and very proud of them for their day-in and day-out efforts, especially after the tough start. … They've overcome a lot mentally and have been able to find ways to win through it. There's a lot to be proud of, but also a bitter taste in our mouths with how we didn't perform the way we needed to over the past two games, in my opinion."
 
When the Cougars are at their best, it's because of their defensive intensity, rebounding and energy.
 
"When we have five guys on the same page defensively, we are usually — no matter how our offense looks — able to find a way to win or at least have a chance to win ballgames," Doino said. "Our defensive energy and the passion we play with on that side of the floor really sets a tone for us."
 
However, over the past two games, Doino said the team's accountability within hasn't been as apparent.
 
The bond the team built through the early stages of the season was also paramount to their success, according to senior KeShawn Lewis.
 
"We need to be a unit, be together and be cohesive like we were before the skid of losing two games in a row," Lewis said. "Obviously the regular season didn't end the way we wanted it to but we know we're prepared and getting back to our principles of defense, rebounding and working hard."
 
That's been the focus of practice the past few days as Averett preps for Tuesday's quarterfinal matchup. Although it would be easy for the Cougars to be down on themselves, Doino has also reminded them of the positives.
 
"We have to realize that we put ourselves in a good position as far as we are at home in the quarterfinals and we won the conference — let's not forget that," Doino noted. "I told them that yesterday. Even though we aren't happy with how we played the last two games, we put ourselves in a position to win. So that's something to be positive about. I also told them we could be bitter about this or we can get better. And we have had two days to get better since our last game through film and practice to try to clean up some things. We've got to have the right mentality moving forward."
 
For Round 3 between Averett and Southern Virginia, Doino said the Cougars will need to be locked in defensively for all 40 minutes.
"I think they took real advantage of our inconsistencies during the second half two games ago," he said. "I thought every time we didn't do something the way we were taught to or with the right energy that we needed to, they were able to find the guy that was either open off dribble penetration and help, or just make a play getting to the rim. For us, it is a matter of being detailed in what we do and consistent on that end of the floor."
 
Just as adversity has found the Cougars at times throughout the season, Doino expects there to be challenges during the game that will test his team on Tuesday.
 
"It's about being mentally strong and knowing we are going to face adversity Tuesday night," he said. "We're playing a good team that's well-coached and is extremely disciplined. You have to respond with toughness between the ears in those situations. … You don't have any option but to respond. There is no tomorrow at this point if you don't win, so you have to be competitive and get out there and play as hard as you can with as much energy as you can or your season is over."
 
Even though the Cougars lost to Southern Virginia less than a week ago, they don't have to be reminded that they cruised to a 77-55 road win over the Knights on Feb. 5 during their winning streak.
 
"Coach talked about how we lost our swagger a little bit these last two games, but I feel after a great practice today, we'll get back on our feet and ready to go," said junior Corey Baldwin, the team's leading scorer. "I'm super proud of where we've been and where we're going."