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Three straight wins can change your perspective. The Youngstown State women's basketball team has noticed the change.
The metamorphosis almost took full bloom following an up-tempo performance Monday night in a 92-67 domination of Cleveland State. The Vikings were tied for second with Wright State in the Horizon League prior to that contest.
This isn't the same YSU team which which held teams to around 60 points per game the past two seasons -- winning 20-plus games.
That was part of the original plan, with all of the Penguins' top scorers back, but season-ending injuries to Nikki Arbanas, Kelsea Newman and Sarah Cash has seen the Penguins being forced to revamp their plan.
Senior Jenna Hirsch, who has been in an often-used reserve role the past couple of seasons, is the shooting guard -- taking over for Arbanas.
Newman and Cash took care of the interior, with Newman being able to spot up 3-pointers as well. That's gone.
It truly has taken a village for these Penguins to reinvent themselves. Monday was the closest this youthful bunch has gotten to four complete quarters.
Sophomore Alison Smolinski, who had a career-high 30 points Monday, came off concussion protocol in Saturday's win over Valparaiso. She might garner league player of the week honors if she does well Friday at Detroit Mercy and Sunday at Oakland.
YSU coach John Barnes hopes his team can keep the momentum it had on this three-game homestand.
"That's the next step," Barnes said. "We need to figure out, play well and get wins on the road, which is difficult. For a young team, it's even more difficult. I feel like this stretch is going to help us."
Freshmen like center Mary Dunn and walk-on forward Morgan Brunner -- who was this week's Horizon League Freshman of the Week -- plus senior newcomer Tamira Ford have made impacts for this team recently.
And junior point guard Indiya Benjamin, the stalwart of this upstart team, is one of four players averaging in double figures in conference play at 13.5 ppg. Smolinski leads with 16.3. Dunn (13.5) and Brunner (11.7) round out the group. Hirsch and junior guard Kelley Wright average close to nine points apiece.
Since this team has been winning, things are coming together.
"You can see it out on the court they're getting more comfortable, more confident and playing well," Barnes said.
This team is still laden with freshman talent. With 12 games to go and five of them against the top three in the league -- Green Bay, Wright State and Milwaukee, it'll definitely be a challenge.
The focus is Detroit Mercy (8-9, 4-2) and then Oakland (9-8, 3-3) -- both ahead of YSU in the league standings.
Barnes and the Penguins take nothing for granted.
"I think every win is a special thing," he said. "That's how we're taking it, one at time. Not focus too much on the next team."
Nothing is a given, but the immediate future looks much brighter than it did to start 2017 when the Penguins lost six of seven games -- including the first two Horizon League games at Wright State and Northern Kentucky.