The women’s basketball team is fighting for its life right now.

If the Bulls want to play in the postseason, they better turn on the afterburners.

After starting the season on fire, the Bulls have cooled down considerably, playing .500 ball through the past eight games.

That’s not how you want to finish the season. No team wants to go into the Big East tournament flat, especially with a bid to the dance on the line.

Recently, the Bulls have shown signs of coming out of their mini-slump. They won a tough game against No. 21 Notre Dame on the road in overtime. They also won a couple of big games against Big East foes Syracuse and Providence at home.

But just like every team sport, college or pro, a team is only good as its last game. If the Bulls were to go on another three-game slide, their hopes for a postseason bid would be slim, to say the least.

Don’t get me wrong: The team is very talented. Jessica Dickson averages 23.5 points a game and Nalini Miller has 50 blocks and 47 steals on the season.

Coach Jose Fernandez has overcome adversity and turned this team into one of USF’s best of all time. The Bulls had a remarkable season last year under Fernandez, going 21-11 with a 14-2 record at home. The previous two years USF had mediocre seasons, going 7-20 during the 2002-2003 season and 14-15 in 2003-2004.

Fernandez has made a slow but steady progression with the team, and as a result, the Bulls are now one of the Big East elite. He started from scratch and rebuilt USF into a legitimate contender.

The Bulls are 4-4 in the Big East. They have the opportunity to make this year the best in school history. They have key players who make shots when the game is on the line. They have the right team chemistry, which is a formula for success no matter what the sport. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles.

The men’s team would love to be in the position the women are in right now. Those poor guys just can’t seem to get that one win to spin them in the right direction.

The women, however, are in control of their own destiny. Not much time is left on the clock, and the possession arrow is pointing to USF.

It’s time to seal the deal.