When he took over last season, Sanborn of Kingston girls' basketball coach  Brian Gray made being in the hunt every year his goal.

So far so good for Gray and the Indians, who are 29-8 over two seasons, and 14-3 as they head into their regular-season finale today. They'll finish fourth with a win.

This is the time of year most teams are cashing in on momentum developed during their early-season slate. The Indians are drawing back even further and simply realizing their potential these days, according to Gray.

"We want to be a team everyone is always talking about in the playoffs and already qualifying for the postseason here for the second year in a row helps that idea," said Gray, whose club was 5-13 in the season before he took over. "It's a fantasy, really. We weren't even thinking playoffs my first eight years here. Our program just wasn't there yet.

"We have the kids pick it up while adopting their own identity here. This isn't even a repeat of last year. The kids came in and identified what they needed to do to continue the success. We just keep building and trying to peak from where we originally were."

Among the notable tweaks to this version of the Indians is a more concerted effort from beyond the 3-point line. Sanborn is averaging around eight 3-point attempts a game for the season. Gray said last year's leading 3-point shooter had taken an estimated seven treys through the first five weeks of the season.

"We play a lot of zones during our schedule so having the 3-pointer makes people come out and attack us now," Gray said. "It's opened up the inside and really given us what we've been looking for. When the offense is flowing, we're making it tough because we really move that ball around to make teams work. Being able to go in and out lets us capitalize more on that."

There is a sense of balance across the board for Sanborn. Gray's picture-perfect effort from his Indians involves as many as six players scoring somewhere between 8-10 points. The players have learned and know better than to rely on one person to carry them.

"I really try to believe in them as a whole, which means looking to everyone for a play," Gray said. "The way we run our offense isn't about staggering screens for one player. It's having everyone work together to get opportunities for each other. You'll never hear me say somebody can't shoot and someone else needs to double up. They can take the shots that are available."

The balance comes due in large to the Indians playing and realizing their roles. Guards  Bri Center and  Sophie Merry-Carriero get the offense rolling. Center offers a little bit of everything in terms of her skills while Merry-Carriero is one of the best threats Sanborn has from beyond the arc and makes all the right decisions within the offense.

Ellen McGough has hit 46 3-pointers while averaging 11.5 points a game as a freshman.  Skyla Shibel and  Madison Lovely are defensive cogs, combining for eight blocks in last Friday's loss to Conant. Lovely is also good for double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis, according to Gray.

The problem looming over Sanborn when it comes to contention are those teams that have the track record the Indians are striving for. Sanborn's three losses this season have come against perennial D-III contenders Conant, Hopkinton and Gilford. Gray admits that the Indians' schedule has felt more competitive compared with last season.

"We still have to find the experiences and playoff atmospheres to get us over the hump," Gray said. "There's no doubt with our players that they can play at that level. We're not looking at getting outplayed for four quarters anymore.

"We had the tough loss (to Conant) on Friday and then they come in (Monday) ready to work. We talked about the stuff we learned and got right to work on it. That's the experience and attitude we need to set us up for good things in the playoffs."