By Lou Manzo
Special to the Reporter

Sometimes a winning streak comes from excellent coaching, sometimes from good scouting, sometimes from a hot shooter; it seems a bit unusual, though, for a winning streak to be triggered by an appearance on a TV game show, even if it is the revered Price Is Right.

Maybe the Celtics should hire Bob Barker.

Before January 6, the UMass-Boston women's basketball team was mired in mediocrity, with five wins and five loses. Since January 6, the Lady Beacons have rattled off seven wins and have lost only twice. Sure, the victories may be a result of an offensive burst, with the team averaging 75 points per game in the seven wins, but an off-the-court victory could have also jump-started the team.

On January 4, UMass-Boston guard Myrna Tangar of Randolph won the showcase showdown on the popular daytime television program. While the team returned from California with only one win and two losses, Tangar returned with a wine cabinet, a treadmill, an electric piano, a dinette set, a portable C.D. player, $500, a jukebox, and a Ford Mustang.

"Well, we didn't do that well in the tournament, but the last day was worth it," said Tangar.

At 10:30 on January 4, the team showed up outside the CBS studio for the taping. Some people in the audience had been camped out for 17 hours; the team showed up a half-hour late. Nevertheless, the crew saw potential and personality in Tangar, who must have said something right during the interview.

"He asked me what my major is and I told him I was a biology major and pre-med. Then he asked me with all that studying if I had time for Price is Right. I told him I definitely had time for Bob Barker. I had to sweeten him up," Tangar said.

A couple hours later Tangar heard announcer Rich Fields utter the famous tagline of the show: "Myra Tangar, come on down! You're the next contestant on the Price is Right!"

While Tangar missed on her first bid, she won a wine cabinet on her second. She ran on stage and gave Barker a big hug. She won a matching game and advanced to the next round to spin the wheel.

Each contestant has two spins on the wheel. Each spot on the wheel has a monetary value less than one dollar. The contestant who gets closest to one dollar without going over, wins and advanced to the showcase showdown.

The first contestant's second spin sent her over the dollar. Tangar got 50 cents on her first spin and decided to stay. The next contestant, like the first, went over a dollar. Tangar bounced up and down as Barker told her she was going to the showcase showdown.

In the showdown, Tangar squared off against a firefighter and Marine from Texas. The Texan's bid was off by $8,000. Tangar was only off by $4,000. She had won.

"I thought I was going to throw up and faint. My team yelled at me to breathe," Tangar said.

Her teammates flooded the stage and Tangar ran over to her new Ford Mustang.

"I broke over to the car. The Barker Beauties said I was one of the craziest contestants ever. They thought I was going to rip the wheel off the car. Then the Barker Beauties told me I needed to get out of the car," Tangar said.

The Mustang should arrive in Boston later this week. In the meantime, word has spread around the athletic department of Tangar's success and the team has had one of the best January's in recent memory. The success on the court, as well as off the court, has been a team effort.

"I got all my answers from my team. It was like a game situation. I had to concentrate on them," said Tangar.

For now Tangar only has one plan for what she'll do with the winnings.

"I think I'll take the team out to lunch," she said.