Natosha Gottlieb can fill up the stat sheet for Louisiana College. Louisiana College athletics photo

It’s Tuesday afternoon in early February and Natosha Gottlieb is in the midst of one of her busiest days of the week. Internship, class, basketball practice and back to class. It’s a hectic schedule, and yet, the Louisiana College star finds time to squeeze in a phone interview with a reporter.

Life as a student-athlete isn’t easy. It can get crazy trying to juggle life on and off the court, and Gottlieb, destined to go down as one of the greatest players in Wildcats history, will be the first to admit as much.

“It’s not easy ... at all,” Gottlieb said. “School comes first and I am here to work toward getting a degree. It’s important to me. But I love basketball and it’s exciting being on a team that has a chance to accomplish some big goals. We have a chance to win the conference championship and go to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.”

The numbers Gottlieb has put up are impressive, and even that word doesn’t do the statistics justice.

In 105 games, the senior is on the verge of becoming the first player in American Southwest Conference history to tally 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks.

Her point total stands at 1,182, her rebounding total is at 572, she has 229 steals and 120 blocks. She needs just 10 assists to get to 200.

No one ever comes to college and says ‘I’m going to be a player that puts up jaw-dropping numbers in every statistical category,’ but Gottlieb always knew she had a chance to succeed at the college level.

“I thought I had the potential to do it, and my coach my freshman year told me if I worked on every part of my game that I could be a really good player,” Gottlieb said. “So I went out and worked on everything and it’s nice to see all of the hard work pay off.”

Gottlieb has helped lead Louisiana College to three consecutive East Division crowns and the Wildcats won the conference championship in 2010. A year ago, she was a first team all-conference selection and was tabbed as the division player of the year. Gottlieb earned second-team All-ASC East Division honors as a sophomore.

Despite all of the accolades, Gottlieb has never let herself become complacent.

“I worked hard over the summer to be a more versatile player,” Gottlieb said. “I think I’ve become a much better passer this year. We have a lot of good players on our team and I know that if I pass the ball to a teammate, she is going to make a play. I’ve tried to become the best all-around player I can be, but even now, I still feel like I can play even better.”

Gottlieb is averaging 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She has dished out 51 assists and has racked up 80 steals for a Wildcats team that is 19-1 overall and 14-0 in the conference.

It’s worth noting, however, that the Wildcats are hardly a one-player show. Sophomore guard/forward Kala Chenier is clicking for 10 points per outing and sophomore guard Skylar Chenevert is pumping in 9.1 points per game.

Sophomore guards Neka Jones and Karylon Thornton are averaging 8.8 and 8.0 points per outing, respectively, while three other players are averaging at least 6.0 points per game.

Even senior guard Shaina Howard, who is averaging 4.3 points per outing, has proven she is capable of big-time performances. In an 86-56 win over LeTourneau last week, she poured in 19 points.

The Wildcats are putting up 88.2 points per outing and have lit up the scoreboard for 90 points or more nine times, including hitting the century mark four times.

Gottlieb has had a lot to do with the success of the offense, and because she is a threat to score every time she has the ball in her hands, defenses tend to key in on her.

She said she relishes the challenge and knows that if a team dares to double team her, she has no problem giving the ball up.

“If a team thinks about double teaming me, I have no problem passing the ball,” Gottlieb said. “I know my teammates are good shooters and they will step up if I can’t get a good shot.”

While the offensive numbers the Wildcats have cranked out have been remarkable, they are just as good on the defensive end of the floor, limiting opponents to 59.7 points per outing.

They have forced 655 turnovers, including 387 off steals, and Gottlieb took time to explain the defensive philosophy of the Wildcats.

“I think people look at our statistics and think we just run around and force turnovers. It’s organized chaos and everyone has bought into playing hard on defense. But we have the ability to defend in the half-court, too. We aren’t as good as we can be, but we are working to improve.”

With five games left on the schedule and the postseason on the horizon, the Wildcats have refused to feel satisfied with their success. And there is no question that it would be tempting to do. After all, Louisiana College has only had three wins decided by 10 points or less.

“All of us are putting in extra time in the gym,” Gottlieb said. “We want to keep the same drive we had at the beginning of the season. It can be easy to become complacent but we remind ourselves that our goal isn’t to just win 20 games in the regular season. We want to win a conference championship and have a chance to compete for a national championship.”

The sting of the last season is still real and serves as added motivation for the Wildcats. Their dream of a conference title ended in a 74-63 loss to Concordia in the championship game. A week later, the Wildcats let an NCAA Tournament win slip out of their grasp in a 94-91 opening-round loss to Thomas More. The Wildcats led 48-38 at the half and were up by as many as 19.

“Thomas More deserves credit for winning, but we feel like we gave that game away because we didn’t close out the game the way we should have been able to,” Gottlieb said. “We know it’s important for us to play up to our potential the entire game. We believe the experience of last year will help us for the tournament this year.”

Top 25 Notes

Men: Tyler Kruis scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead No. 13 Calvin to a 92-50 win over Kalamazoo on Saturday. Kruis scored 21 of his points in the opening half while Tom Snikkers poured in 16 points to move into 11th on the all-time school scoring list with 1,341 points. ... No. 14 Wooster shot a season-low 31.9 percent from the field and scored a season-low in points as it was upset 55-48 by Wabash on Saturday. It was the lowest field goal percentage for the Scots since 2005. Jake Mays was the lone Wooster player in double figures with 10 points....No. 17 Hampden-Sydney shot 53.4 percent from the field and held a 36-18 edge on the boards as it knocked off Washington and Lee77-67 on Saturday. Khobi Williamson scored 30 points and Harrison George added 24 for the Tigers, who have won eight consecutive games and 17 of their last 18 overall. ... No. 21 Christopher Newport lost its second straight game, falling 79-66 to Virginia Wesleyan on Monday night. The Captains shot only 38 percent from the field and allowed the Marlins to hit 12 3-pointers, including nine in the first half. Mike Cherry dropped in 15 points to pace the Captains.

Women: It was a good day for No. 1 DePauw on Saturday. The Tigers claimed the outright North Coast Athletic Conference championship and the senior class earned its 100th win as DePauw knocked off Hiram 91-46.   Ali Ross scored 18 points while Alex Gasaway added 17 as the Tigers became the first D-III program in history to win 22 games in 12 consecutive seasons. ... Carissa Verkaik scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help No. 2 Calvin knock off Trine 86-50 on Monday night. Ally Wolffis added 11 points and five rebounds and the Knights shot 49.3 percent from the field in the win. ... No. 4 Hope held another team to 40 points or less as it rolled to a 79-34 win over Alma on Saturday. Meredith Kussmaul and Liz Ellis scored 11 points apiece for the Flying Dutch. Hope has held five consecutive opponents to 40 or less and secured its 15th straight 20-win season. ... No. 5 Ohio Northern extended its school-record win streak to 19 games with an 80-49 win over Muskingum on Saturday. Morgan Dumbaugh paved the way as she clicked for 21 points while Joanna Snyder poured in 18 points. The Polar Bears shot a blistering 57.4 percent from the field and held Muskingum to 30 percent shooting. ... Allison Long scored 20 points and No. 8 Thomas More secured its eighth consecutive winning season with a 77-53 win over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday. Devin Beasley added 17 and Jenny Burgoyne scored 13 as the Saints extended their win streak to 17 games. ... Shaina Howard turned in a stellar performance as she scored 19 points and racked up 10 steals to help No.15 Louisiana College top LeTourneau 86-56 on Saturday. Howard came in averaging 4.3 points per outing but was in a zone as she helped the Wildcats extend their home win streak to 46 games. Louisiana College forced 46 turnovers and scored 54 points off those miscues. ... No. 21 Ferrum rallied for a 65-61 win over Meredith on Sunday. Katy Kipps clicked for 17 points and pulled down six rebounds while Tesla Akers pumped in 16 points as the Panthers overcame a 34-29 halftime deficit and won their fourth consecutive game. ... Camry Green scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for No. 24 Christopher Newport as it held off Piedmont 57-52 in its final road game of the regular season. The Captains shot only 35.5 percent from the floor but played well defensively, forcing 24 turnovers. Tia Perry added 13 points and four rebounds while Kendra Stone tallied nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

American Southwest Conference

Kyle Schleigh and Chris McOmber both came through with double-doubles to pace Texas-Dallas to a key 75-69 win over East Texas Baptist on Saturday.

Schleigh scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while McOmber came through with 21 points and 10 boards as the Comets stayed on top of the East Division standings.

Texas-Dallas hit nine free throws in the final minute to hold off a rally attempt and it shot just 34.9 percent from the field.  Jaron Joseph scored 165 points to padce the Tigers, who shot 46.7 percent from the floor.

Hardin-Simmons’ women’s basketball team held off Mary Hardin-Baylor 67-56 on Thursday behind 21 points from Alexis Popelar.

Jaclyn von der Heide poured in 19 points and Joanna Diel added 15 points on a day when Hardin-Simmons tallied 15 assists as a team. The Cowgirls also got after it defensively, forcing 19 turnovers.

Taylor Tucker played well despite the loss, scoring 24 points and grabbing 15 rebounds for the Crusaders, who lost for only the second time in their last five games.

Great South Athletic Conference

Huntingdon rattled off its seventh consecutive win on Saturday as it took down Salem 76-61 to stay on top of the conference standings. The win also avenged a 21-point loss to the Spirits on Jan. 5.

The win streak for the Hawks is their longest in the NCAA era of the program. Patricia Pickens turned in her fourth double-double of the year, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Morgan Crawford clicked for 17 points and dished out nine assists.

Salem shot only 32.8 percent from the floor and Satavia Taylor scored 16 points to lead the Spirits.

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Hope was on target when it came to shooting the ball on Saturday as it set a DeVos Fieldhouse record by knocking down 68 percent of its shots in a 97-73 win over Albion on Saturday.

The Flying Dutchmen led by as many as 29 and only turned the ball over seven times. Ben Gardner pumped in 14 points and tallied six assists while Alex Edison scored 12 points.

Albion shot 44 percent from the floor and got 17 points from Jordan Herron.

North Coast Athletic Conference

Ross Sponsler stepped up for Wabash and scored points to lead the Little Giants to a 55-48 win over nationally ranked Wooster on Saturday.

The stunning win made up for the crushing loss Wabash suffered at the hands of Wooster earlier this season when it lost 97-56.

The Little Giants fell behind 15-2 but didn’t fall apart, playing well defensively as it limited the Scots to 31.9 percent shooting and forcing 15 turnovers as they won at home against Wooster for the second consecutive season.

Daryl Ford became the 13th player in Allegheny women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points as she scored 11 in the Gators’ 57-46 loss to Wittenberg on Saturday.

Ford also pulled down five rebounds and is the third player to hit the 1,000-point mark under head coach Kate Costanzo.

Enri Small led the Tigers in the win, pouring in 22 points, and Wittenberg overcame the fact that it allowed 14 points off 18 turnovers.

Ohio Athletic Conference

Baldwin Wallace’s men’s basketball team won its third consecutive game on Saturday as it knocked off Wilmington 70-62. The Yellow Jackets have won 13 of their last 14 games.

Kyle Payne, Ben Umbel and Kevin Krakowiak scored 16 points apiece in the victory while Payne also pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds. With his effort on Saturday, Payne is tied for26th all-time on the school scoring list with 1,095 points.

Malcom Heard II scored 16 points to lead Wilmington, which shot 42.3 percent from the floor.

Otterbein’s women’s basketball team had a chance to take over second place in the conference standings but came up short in its 62-56 loss to Mount Union on Saturday.

The Cardinals got as close as 56-54 before the Purple Raiders pulled away for the win.

Hannah Day came through with 24 points for Otterbein and Allie Leopard added 11 points.

Mount Union made 13 treys and was led by Rosa LaMattina, who scored 29 points.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference

Randolph’s men’s basketball team fell in gut-wrenching fashion as Adam Burroughs nailed a 3-pointer as time expired to lift Eastern Mennonite to a 76-75 win on Saturday.

The Wildcats led 35-33 at halftime and were up 74-70 with 18 seconds to play before the Royals battled back for the win.

Andrew Thorne paced the Royals with 16 points and Christ Battaglia poured in 24 points for the Wildcats, who lost despite shooting 55.1 percent from the floor.

Although Hollins fell to Shenandoah 59-49 on Saturday, Jasmine Greene delivered another stellar performance. Greene, the leading scorer in the conference, poured in 27 points and has scored 20 or more in her last four games.

Greene also grabbed four rebounds and tallied three assists and three steals. Hollins had its two-game win streak snapped in the loss.

Nicole Gilbertson scored 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Shenandoah.

Presidents’ Athletic Conference

Waynesburg’s men’s basketball team closed out the home portion of its schedule in style as it rolled to an 82-69 win over Geneva on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets had four players in double figures, including Jason Propst, who scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Kenny Klase came through with 15 points and seven rebounds and Thomas Ellis came off the bench to score 14 points and grab nine rebounds. Jacob Fleegle added 13 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 44 percent from the field.  Matt Lorello led Geneva with 18 points.

Kelly Barzak has had a successful career at Thiel and has already gone over 1,000 points for her career. On Saturday, she poured in 26 points and grabbed 14 points to pace the Tomcats to a 69-55 win over Bethany. Barzak also tallied four blocks, two assists and two steals.

The Tomcats never trailed and avenged a 76-47 loss to the Bison earlier this season. Kelly Muffley scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.

Taylor Verrico was the top scorer for Bethany, clicking for 13 points.

Southern Athletic Association

Centre’s men’s basketball team remained in a tie for first place in the conference standings with a 71-60 win over Berry on Saturday.

Bryon Ellis drilled five 3-pointers en route to scoring 21 points and Blake Scinta dropped in 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds on a day when Centre shot 42.6 percent from the floor.

Berry shot only 33.3 percent from the floor but Mac Whalen came through with a solid performance as he scored 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

Catherine Eckert went off for 31 points and led Rhodes to a 73-62 win over Birmingham Southern on Sunday afternoon.

Eckert hit five treys in the win and helped the Lynx win their 17th game of the season and remain in a tie for first place in the conference standings.

Sarah Johnson dropped in 18 points and dished out six assists in the pivotal victory while Dy’nelle Todman clicked for 12 points.

USA South Athletic Conference

North Carolina Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team stretched its win streak to five games on Saturday with a 75-49 win over Mid-Atlantic Christian.

Brandon Givens pumped in 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Chris Ford and Jesse Simpson clicked for 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the nonconference win.

North Carolina Wesleyan shot 49.2 percent from the field and dominated early as it took a 43-15 lead into halftime.

Greensboro dominated Mary Baldwin in an 84-56 win on Sunday. The Pride shot just 36 percent from the field but got a big lift from Cheyene Pickard, who poured in 16 points and dished out five assists.

Bianca Richburg scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds while Jenna Cabe scored 12 points. A total of 15 Greensboro players scored in the win and the Pride held a 61-35 edge on the boards.

Shamanda Williamson scored 28 points to pace Mary Baldwin, which shot 37 percent from the field.

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Colorado College stayed within a game of first place in the conference standings as it knocked off Dallas 71-66 on Saturday. Daniel Webb nailed all four of his attempts from 3-point range and scored 16 points. He also pulled down five rebounds and blocked a career-high three shots.

Chris Lesnansky pumped in 15 points and Ian Rewoldt scored 10 points to go along with six rebounds. Earlier in the week, Rewoldt became the 48th player in program history to score at least 600 points.

Trinity’s women’s basketball team stretched its win streak to 11 games with wins over Austin College and Centenary over the weekend.

The streak is the longest for the Tigers since the 2002-03 season when they won 14 in a row during their national championship season.

In a 75-62 win over Centenary on Sunday, Anecia Richardson scored 20 points to pace the Tigers. Libby Kruse scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Hannah Coley came off the bench to drop in 11 points.

Vashni Sharp-Moore clicked for 17 points to lead Centenary.