The early portion of the college basketball season often gets lost in the lights blaring from college and professional football. Teams that get off to slow starts can hide behind the calendar, knowing that there are still two months to right the ship before conference tournament play.

For the Miles women's basketball team, the early portion of the season has just been a primer for what the Lady Bears hope is a historic finish. Having just missed out on its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2023, the team is putting the rest of the conference - and everyone else - on notice that it is ready to finish the job as 2024 begins.

The Lady Bears have gone 7-1 to start the season, the only loss coming on the road in the season opener at Columbus State. Since then, Miles has been one of the best teams in the country. During its current seven-game win streak, the Lady Bears have won each game by an average of 16 points. Their current scoring margin of 15.5 points is top-30 in Division II. The team has shown it can win the close games, too, with  single-possession road wins at Benedict and Clark Atlanta dotting the schedule.

Individually, Miles features Iemyiah Harris, arguably the top player in the SIAC. Coming into the campaign as the league's Preseason Player of the Year, Harris has failed to disappoint and continues the arc she began last season as a First Team All-SIAC performer. She is currently averaging 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.7 steals per contest while making 40 percent of her shots from the field, 37 percent of her 3-pointers, and 83 percent from the free throw line. Feliah Greer has been an able companion on the court with her own solid start (14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.4 steals), giving the Lady Bears multiple weapons to deploy on opponents.

While waiting for the Lady Bears next contest, a home matchup against league foe Albany State on Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m., here is a quick look at how the Lady Bears fared to open the season.

Miles 90, Benedict 49 (SIAC EAST/WEST CHALLENGE)
Miles led by 24 points at halftime and as many as 33 points in the second half as it cruised to its first victory of the season. Five players scored in double figures, led by Greer (18 points), Harris (17), and Madison Lee (13).

Miles 75, Edward Waters 64 (SIAC EAST/WEST CHALLENGE)
The game was tied at 56 heading into the fourth quarter but the Lady Bears did not allow EWU to make a basket from the field until there was less than a minute left in the game to win going away. Harris scored nine of her game-high 25 points in the final quarter and added six assists and four steals. Lee (13 points, team-high seven rebounds) and Greer (10 points, five rebounds, four steals) were also big contributors.

Miles 74, Clark Atlanta 72
On the road, the Lady Bears led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter but had to withstand a furious CAU rally. The Lady Panthers missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and Miles held on for its third straight win. Harris (25 points on 8-of-14 from the field with five 3-pointers), Greer (10 points, eight rebounds) and Lee (nine points, game-high nine rebounds) led the way for the Lady Bears in their conference opener.

Miles 58, Edward Waters 49
The defense led the way in this contest, with Miles scoring 21 points off of 20 Edward Waters turnovers. The Lady Bears outscored the Tigers 33-15 over the middle two quarters and led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter. Harris (18 points) was the lone double-figure scorer for Miles but Imani Williams and India Brown each scored eight points in the win.

Miles 68, Savannah State 45
Miles allowed the first basket of the game, then never trailed again in a dominant performance. The defense was again on display, holding the Tigers to less than 30 percent shooting from the field while scoring 25 points from 25 forced turnovers. Greer (21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals) had a monster effort, Harris (20 points, six rebounds) notched her third 20-point effort of the season, and Tederia Ashley (eight points, game-high 11 rebounds, three blocked shots) had her best game of the season as Miles led by as many as 25 points in the second half.

Miles 99, Clinton College 58
Playing for the first time in 10 days, Miles got in a road tune-up against an overmatched Clinton College squad. Six players scored in double figures for the Lady Bears, led by Ashley (19 points), Greer and Asha Shareef (16 points each). 

Miles 67, Benedict 66
The Lady Bears trailed by 12 points with less than six minutes remaining in the game before Greer and Harris combined to scored the final 20 points for the Lady Bears to cap an incredible comeback. Harris (15 points) splashed three 3-balls during the run but Greer (19 points) made five free throws over the last 30 seconds, including the game winner with less than a second left on the clock. Ashley added 14 points and five rebounds for the winners.