Govs veto Otahks again

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- If not for Austin Peay, there's no telling what kind of accomplishments Southeast Missouri State University would have racked up the past two seasons.

Last year, the Otahkians made it to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game for the first time ever before Austin Peay ended their run with a 24-point rout.

Friday afternoon, in the semifinals of the OVC tournament, the Governors did it to Southeast again with a 72-55 victory at Municipal Auditorium.

Top-seeded Austin Peay (22-7), the OVC regular-season champion, will go for its fourth straight tournament title and NCAA tournament berth today. The Govs' opponent will be sixth-seeded Eastern Kentucky, which upset second-seeded Tennessee Tech 85-74 in Friday's other semifinal.

Fourth-seeded Southeast finished its second season under coach B.J. Smith with a 16-13 record. The Otahkians are 0-6 against Austin Peay the past two years, losing three times to the Govs each season.

"I might be able to win some games if I didn't have to play Austin Peay" Smith joked. "It's very frustrating. I'm more frustrated for the kids, especially the seniors."

Gerlonda Hardin once again helped bury the Otahkians. Austin Peay's 6-foot-1 senior center, the OVC player of the year, torched Southeast for 26 points and 10 rebounds. She hit 11 of 14 field-goal attempts, most coming from within a few feet of the basket.

"I thought Gerlonda Hardin, once again ... we're like gas on the fire toward her," Smith said. "In the six games we've lost, she's been the difference."

Said Southeast senior guard Kenja White, "She's a big girl. Strong."

Senior forward Jessica Grayson gave the Govs a lift off the bench with 13 points, seven more than her average. She hit five of six shots and also recorded seven assists.

"I thought Jessica's play was a big difference in the game," Austin Peay coach Andy Blackston said.

White led the Otahkians with 20 points and junior center Chandra Brown added 12.

Austin Peay controlled most of the game -- Southeast held just three brief leads, all early in the second half -- but the Govs could never totally shake the Otahkians until the late going.

"It was a great game, going back and forth," Blackston said. "SEMO made some great runs."

Hardin picked up her second foul with 7:27 left in the first half and Austin Peay leading 22-14. Hardin had already scored 13 points but she sat on the bench the remainder of the period as Southeast closed to within 30-28 at the break.

But Hardin did not pick up another foul, which was probably the second-half key, even though Southeast stayed well within striking distance most of the way.

"It was in my head to stay out of foul trouble the whole game, but it's something you can't let get to you," Hardin said.

Southeast took its first lead of the game at 34-32 on senior forward Yashika Sidbury's layup with 18:45 left in the second half.

The Otahkians' final lead came at the 15:50 mark as freshman guard Jessica Aebi's 3-pointer made it 39-37.

But Hardin got a basket and free throw 15 seconds later to put Austin Peay back up 40-39, the start of a 10-1 run that opened up a 47-40 advantage. The Govs never looked back.

Southeast was still within range at 54-50 after a White 3-pointer with 6:43 remaining, but Austin Peay scored the next 12 points to go up 66-50 and end all suspense.

"Our offense struggled. That's where we lacked the most," Southeast senior point guard Sarah Costello said.

Southeast hit just 22 of 67 shots (32.8 percent). Austin Peay shot 57.7 percent on 30 of 52, which helped offset 25 Lady Govs turnovers.

"We had trouble scoring," Smith said.

Four Southeast seniors who were among the team's top players the past two seasons played their final games Friday: White, Costello, Sidbury and forward Carina Souza.

"We had some disappointments this season, but this is the first time we've been in the semifinals two years in a row. It was a good year," Smith said. "I feel good for the seniors, what we've accomplished the last two years."

The seniors left their mark on Southeast's record book even though all four only played two seasons with the Otahkians after transferring from junior colleges.

Sidbury's 94 career 3-pointers are fourth all-time, while Costello ranks fifth in single-season assists (144) and 10th in career assists (241). White is tied for sixth in career 3-pointers (69).

Southeast junior Sami Jo Cotton failed to hit a 3-pointer Friday as she finished the year with 67 3-pointers, which places her second on the single-season list and just one away from the record. Cotton is already tied for eighth in career 3-pointers after only one season.