In sports, it’s cliché to describe certain games on a team’s schedule as “must win.” The phrase is overused and oftentimes untrue. But the next four games on the women’s basketball team’s schedule are “must wins.”

Beginning Jan. 27 with a matchup against second place Missouri State University, the Bluejays play a stretch of four home games with three of the four weakest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Essentially, after the showdown with the Bears, a frenzy of losing teams will come to town. Fourth-to-last place Wichita State, last place Southern Illinois University, and second-to-last place Evansville University will round out the four-game home stand.

If the Jays can take down Missouri State, which leads the MVC with an RPI of 40, the following games almost surely will put them in first place.

Here’s why: When coach Jim Flanery’s squad is playing a mess of subpar teams, first place University of Northern Iowa and that same Missouri State team will be playing their toughest stretches of the conference season.

UNI faces off with three of the top five teams in the league over their next five games, including both Missouri State and Creighton. Meanwhile, MSU’s upcoming four-game stretch includes Creighton and fifth place Drake University on the road, before hosting the league defending UNI Panthers.

If that isn’t a recipe for success, I’m not quite sure what is. With a 17-5 overall record at D.J. Sokol Arena, four quick wins is certainly a possibility. The arena is quickly becoming one of the more difficult facilities to play at in the Valley.

A rousing crowd helped energize prayers and spark a double-digit comeback that fell just short in a one-point loss to UNI onJan. 13.

Assuming that home court advantage can push the Jays from third place to first over the next two weeks, the remaining seven games will be played with Creighton in the driver’s seat.

Their final seven games feature two at home and two on the road with bottom dwelling teams and three tough road games with the conference’s upper echelon (UNI, Missouri State, and Drake).

A sweep of the next four games would put the Bluejays in a position to clinch one of the top spots in the conference and would ultimately result in the highest seed for the MVC tournament in St. Charles, Mo., come March.

The final few games of the regular season, with top competition should serve as a tune-up for the ever-important tourney. Oh, and speaking of “must wins,” you just might put the MVC tournament in that category.