The Conference USA season got off to an inauspicious start for the Western Kentucky women’s basketball team.

Home losses to Liberty and Florida International, the second one a one-point defeat after a missed layup in the final seconds against FIU, left WKU 0-2 in conference play and in the midst of three straight losses overall.

“At the end of that first weekend there was a lot of anger, frustration, disappointment,” WKU coach Greg Collins said. “That’s not a bad thing. I remember in the huddle (after FIU loss) I told them I don’t know why sometimes the ball doesn’t go in, but I also know this is a long season and we’re not done.

“We had to rechannel that frustration, that anger and get it going in the right direction. Credit to the young ladies.”

Since those losses, WKU is 12-2. The Lady Toppers look to continue that momentum — and perhaps strengthen the seeding at next week’s Conference USA Tournament — when they face Liberty and FIU for the final two games of the regular season.

WKU plays at FIU at 6 p.m. on Thursday and at Liberty at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Lady Toppers are locked in as no worse than the three seed in the conference tournament, but have an outside shot at the second seed with two wins and some help.

Collins said right now the focus is strictly on FIU.

“Honestly that is all we are focused on, continuing to play well and play our best in Miami,” Collins said. “They have only lost two home conference games and like most teams they are playing better now than they were early in the season. And they have the nation’s No. 1 field goal percentage shooter (Isnelle Natabou) in the post, so that poses a challenge for us. The perimeter players are shooting the ball from the 3-point line better, so that is all we are focused on. That’s all we can control is to prepare for FIU.”

A win Thursday and a loss by Liberty against Middle Tennessee on Thursday would make the winner of Saturday’s game the two seed in the CUSA Tournament. If WKU loses to FIU it can’t move up to two, while if Liberty beats Middle on Thursday WKU will be the three and the Flames will be playing for the one seed on Saturday.

Collins said all those scenarios only emphasize why his team doesn’t need to look past FIU.

“There are a lot of ifs in there and that’s why you don’t worry about that,” Collins said. “We are not in control of that right now. All we are in control of is preparing for FIU and playing on their home floor. They have always been a tough team on their home floor. That’s all we can control.

“Liberty is obviously one of the best teams in our conference, so that will be a different challenge in itself. We will get ready for that one on Friday, but right now we are just focused on FIU.”

The road swing is one of the more unique ones in conference play with the Lady Toppers going to Miami and then Lynchburg, Virginia. It’s the kind of stretch that could be difficult for some teams, but Collins said he thinks his team is both prepared and motivated to push through and finish strong in the regular season.

“We are in a spot where we get to play two teams that beat us at home,” Collins said. “We are in a spot where those two games matter and can somewhat determine the seeding and placement in the tournament. We just have to stick to our routine, get our rest and rehab, and make sure we prepare for our next opponent.”