Since then, their rise to prominence has been swift and palpable.

In a Dec. 4 rout at Lafayette, Dalton and Lackner played 18 minutes each. Dalton chipped in seven points during the effort, and Lackner pulled down six rebounds—both career-highs.

In December, the two have averaged almost 30 minutes and have been scoring nearly 10 points per game. During a recent home stand, their contributions off the bench were invaluable.

That’s not all they’ve accomplished.

“Being a sophomore is being in a position where you’re working hard to make your starters better at practice,” Lackner says.

Dalton notes the contributions of a third sophomore, walk-on guard Julia Pederson, as especially important.

“She doesn’t really get to see any [playing time] in games,” Dalton says, “but [Julia] works very hard in practice and helps us out a lot.”

Pederson also has a candy apple covering her face. On her facebook.com profile, that is.

Sophomores will think up anything.

“I love being a sophomore,” Dalton says. “Freshman year was fun, but very tough. And getting adjusted to college was definitely a challenge.”

She’s comfortable, now. All she needs is notoriety. In The Crimson’s Nov. 18 supplement for women’s basketball, Dalton’s name went unmentioned.

With two career-high scoring efforts to her credit in the last two weeks, the sophomore is earning attention.

“I think sophomores can sometimes be overlooked, but I don’t mind it,” Dalton says. “And it may put us in a position to do more damage.”

Lackner says her confidence “has grown.”

“I heard people talking about the sophomore slump last year, but I never really believed it,” she says. “I’ve definitely found how I can contribute.”