The Cranston West boys basketball team is going through a roller coaster ride as it approaches the home stretch of the regular season.

The Falcons have been grinding through a crammed schedule as of late, playing eight games in a 13-day span. In that stretch, The Falcons pieced together a five-game win streak but have since dropped their last three contests to enter Tuesday with a 6-6 league record.

West has clinched a playoff berth for the upcoming Division II postseason, so the goal for the final five contests will be to climb the standings for better seeding.

The Falcons’ most recent game was against Shea, where the Raiders would pull off the 54-46 win. Ryan Zarrella led West with 14 points while Jaymien Aponte added nine.

West fell to Johnston the previous game 71-55 despite a strong start in which it led 16-11 after one quarter. Aponte led the Falcons with 14 points.

“That (five-game win streak) that we went on, it was the first time that we really got into a rhythm all season. We were playing every other night, yes we were grinding, but we got into a rhythm and we improved our jump shooting, weren’t turning the ball over as much. In Johnston, we had a great first half but ran out of gas. We’re trying to balance the physical and mental preparation with fatigue,” said West coach James Sweeney.

The road to the playoffs will not get easier, either, as the team will be playing its final five games in a seven-day stretch to put a bow on the regular season. Although the Falcons are battling through the physical and mental adversity, Sweeney has been pleased with their poise and commitment.

“Our kids are staying tough and battling through it, but the physical grind is wearing on them a little bit and our inconsistency is wearing on them too. It’s just trying to find that consistency. They have done a great job believing in our culture and sticking together. I’m so proud of them for that,” said Sweeney.

West took on Times Squared on Tuesday, but the results were not available at press time. Sweeney and company are hoping to finish the final stretch strong and be ready for the playoffs.

“Unlike most years, we will have about a week off leading up the playoffs. Sometimes we don’t want that, but this year, I think it will benefit us. Come playoff time, anything can happen. Our focus right now is one game at a time and to rattle off as many wins as possible,” said Sweeney. “We want to take them one by one and I believe that we will have an opportunity to win any game we’re in. This stretch has proven that we can beat anybody, but we can lose to anybody. In the playoffs, it will be about who wants it more.”