ARNZEN HONORED FOR TURNAROUND

Southeast Missouri State University's Ed Arnzen appreciates the fact that his peers voted him the 1998-99 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the year for women's basketball.

But he knows he didn't do anything different from the last two years -- when the Otahkians went a combined 13-40 and nobody was talking about Arnzen in coach-of-the-year terms.

That's why Arnzen said his players and assistant coaches deserve much of the credit for the Otahkians' major turnaround season that was the best since the school moved up to Division I eight years ago.

"Basketball is a team game and this is a team award," said Arnzen. "I have to share it with my assistant coaches, who work extremely hard.

"But most of all, the players deserve the credit. Coaches look good when they have good players. I'm the same guy who won five games two years ago and who won eight games last year. The difference is now we have better players."

Which made the struggles of the past two seasons a thing of the past. Picked eighth out of 10 teams in the OVC's preseason poll, the Otahkians finished fourth -- just one game behind tri-champions Tennessee Tech, Middle Tennessee and Tennessee-Martin.

"I thought we would be better this year, but I don't know if I thought we'd challenge for the (OVC) championship the entire season, which we did," Arnzen said. "After the struggles we had the past two years, this was a very enjoyable season and I think it will help us start a Division I tradition here."

Arnzen is a Southeast graduate who began his college coaching career as a men's assistant at the school. He just completed his 16th season as Southeast's women's coach and the Otahkians' first win next year will give Arnzen his 300th career victory. He led Southeast to the national championship game in Division II before making the move up to Division I.

"I'm at a place where I truly enjoy coaching," said Arnzen. "I'm from this area and this is the place I want to be coaching."

And Arnzen figures his coaching career will become even more enjoyable in the future with continued success.

"I think the future of the women's basketball program at Southeast is very bright," he said. "We had very good season this year and we're already looking forward to next year."

OTAHKIAN RESULTS AND LEADERS

Date Opponent Score W/L Attend High points High rebounds

11/14/98 Christian Brothers 94-51 W 1,105 14, Paula Corder 9, Pam Iversen

11/21/98 at Indiana State 56-81 L 782 16, Paula Corder 10, Pam Iversen

11/24/98 University of Missouri 90-71 W 714 34, Paula Corder 14, Pam Iversen

11/27/98 vs. Alcorn State 59-66 L 75 14, Pam Iverson 12, Pam Iversen

11/28/98 vs. Texas-Pan American 77-53 W 150 22, Pam Iversen 5, Tajuana White 5, Pam Iversen

12/03/98 University of Tulsa 80-63 W 322 20, Rusty Sowers 9, Pam Iversen

12/05/98 at Tennessee State 63-48 W 451 11, Moneik Campbell, Rusty Sowers 9, Tajuana White, Pam Iversen

12/12/98 at Austin Peay 69-55 W 225 17, Rusty Sowers 9, Regan Hughston

1/2/99 Eastern Kentucky 101-93 W2OT 205 44, Paula Corder 11, Tajuana White

1/4/99 Morehead State 65-58 W 1,260 18, Rusty Sowers 7, Pam Iverson

1/7/99 at Middle Tennessee 75-82 L 1,639 22, Rusty Sowers 8, Tajuana White

1/9/99 at Tennessee Tech 64-82 L 3,085 11, Rusty Sowers, Tajuana White 7, Annie Struve

1/12/99 Austin Peay 76-56 W 1,050 18, Pam Iversen 5, Tajuana White

1/14/99 Murray State 78-59 W 3,688 19, Rusty Sowers 11, Pam Iversen

1/16/99 Tennessee-Martin 75-55 W 2,569 20, Paula Corder 6, Tajuana White, Paula Corder

1/21/99 at Belmont 57-70 L 257 12, Paula Corder, Pam Iversen 10, Pam Iversen

1/23/99 at Eastern Illinois 75-64 W 37 16, Pam Iversen 9, Tajuana White

1/25/99 at Eastern Kentucky 61-62 L 275 18, Moneik Campbell 11, Pam Iversen

1/30/99 at Morehead State 104-70 W 912 20, Rusty Sowers 8, Tajuana White

2/2/99 Tennessee State 74-71 W 1,510 15 Tajuana White, Paula Corder, Pam Iversen 7, Pam Iversen

2/4/99 Middle Tennessee State 76-73 W 1,394 21, Rusty Sowers 7, Moneik Campbell, Tajuana White, Pam Iversen

2/6/99 Tennessee Tech 74-70 W 2,415 13, Paula Corder 9, Moneik Campbell

2/11/99 at Murray State 63-64 L 3,218 12, Regan Hughston, Pam Iversen 10, Pam Iversen

2/13/99 at Tennessee-Martin 70-84 L 2,278 25, Paula Corder 10, Pam Iversen

2/20/99 Eastern Illinois 101-86 W 2,855 32, Rusty Sowers 8, Allison Iversen

2/23/99 Murray State 66-60 W 3,385 18, Paula Corder 14, Pam Iversen