When the Surge last took to the court at the Washington University Field House, it was a bittersweet affair. A packed crowd charged the air as the Surge handled the Chicago Breeze to the tune of a 102-72 victory. It was loud and joyous and fitting send-off to the 2019 Surge. Nonetheless, it was a send-off, as the home crowd bid goodbye to a team headed for a couple road matches before its playoff run.

Nearly two weeks later, the Surge are preparing to take the road for the first time since their season opener at the Wisconsin GLO on May 18th. There have been roster changes and on-court trials and tribulations. There have been inspiring on-court performances, record crowds, and unprecedented community outreach. It’s hard to believe that entire home season unfolded over barely two months.

The home stand was a rousing success overall. The Surge picked up wins over the Flint Monarchs, Music City Icons, and Chicago Breeze, boasting an average margin of victory of 24.3 points per game in those wins. While they fell twice to the undefeated Wisconsin GLO, the Surge played the first-place GLO closer than anyone else has this year in their second meeting of the home season, an 88-74 loss on June 30th.

The Surge also closed out the home season with momentum, coming off their biggest win of the season in the 30-point blowout of the Breeze. That margin allowed for the Surge to rest key players, like the team’s leading scorer, Rebecca Harris, and leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, Kristi Bellock, both of whom played under 20 minutes in the victory.

Emergence was another theme of the potentially season-defining win, as several key players thrived in new roles. Nici Gilday had been a starter all season, but it took until the home finale for her to really leave her mark, when she poured in a game-high 23 points (her best in a Surge uniform) while shooting 6-for-12 from the floor and 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Mikala McGhee seized the opportunity of starting for the first time since that Surge trip to Wisconsin in the season opener, leading the game and posting a season-high (and Surge career high) 6 assists.

The Surge will look to ride that momentum all the way to Nashville on Saturday, July 27th, as they take on the Music City Icons. They’ll also look to continue building momentum, because while the focus right now is Music City, the playoffs are just two games away. To follow along with the out-of-town action live, you can stream the game here. Follow the Surge on Twitter and Instagram for live highlights and updates.