OTAHKIANS BIG UNDERDOG AGAINST OVC CO-CHAMPS

On the surface, it doesn't appear as if Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team has a chance of beating Eastern Kentucky tonight.

But Otahkian coach Ed Arnzen prefers the optimistic approach. The way Arnzen sees it, as long as his team is still playing, it has a shot.

"If you're not playing anymore, you don't have a chance," said Arnzen. "We're still playing, so we have a chance."

EKU will, however, be a huge favorite in the 6 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference Tournament first-round game in Richmond, Ky.

The winner moves on to Saturday's OVC Tournament semifinals in Nashville, Tenn., while the loser is through for the season.

Southeast barely slipped into the tourney as the eighth and final seed. The Otahkians lost their last six conference games but still wound up tied for eighth place in the 10-team league with Murray State. Southeast advanced by virtue of owning the tiebreaker edge over the Lady Racers.

The Otahkians ended the regular season with an 8-18 overall record and a 5-13 OVC mark.

Meanwhile, EKU finished tied for the OVC championship with Tennessee Tech but the Lady Colonels earned the top seed. The defending OVC regular-season and tournament champions are 19-7 overall and they went 15-3 in league play.

In addition to the disparity in the records, Southeast has only defeated EKU once in 15 meetings and the Otahkians have never won in Richmond. Earlier this season, the Lady Colonels routed the visiting Otahkians 97-58.

Despite all of this, however, Arnzen is extremely happy that his team is getting another crack at the Lady Colonels.

"We were pleased that we made the tournament," he said. "We know it will be a great challenge for us to beat Eastern Kentucky. But it's a new season now and we will go to Richmond to try and win."

The Lady Colonels are led by senior guard Chrissy Roberts, who averages better than 15 points per game, and senior forward Laphelia Doss, one of the OVC's premier inside players.

"Eastern Kentucky has an extremely talented team, probably the most talented in the league," Arnzen said. "Roberts and Doss are probably two of the top three players in the league and they've got other good players around them."

Even though the Otahkians finished only tied for eighth in the 10-team OVC, that is an improvement over last season, when Southeast was last in the league.

Southeast also proved some prognosticators at least a little bit wrong this year. The Otahkians were picked to finish last again in the preseason OVC poll based on voting by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

Of course, those accomplishments would pale in comparison to an upset victory tonight.

And, even though not may people are probably giving the Otahkians a chance, Arnzen isn't about to throw in the towel.

"Once the game starts, anything can happen," he said. "We'll give it our best shot."

OVC Tournament

Tonight's games

Women

(First Round)

No. 8 Southeast Missouri at No. 1 Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m.

No. 7 Austin Peay at No. 2 Tennessee Tech, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Tennessee State at No. 3 Tennessee-Martin, 7 p.m.

No. 5 Eastern Illinois at No. 4 Middle Tennessee, 5:30 p.m.

Men

(First round)

No. 8 Tennessee Tech at No. 1 Murray State, 7 p.m.

No. 7 Tennessee State at No. 2 Eastern Illinois, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Eastern Kentucky at No. 3 Middle Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 Southeast Missouri at No. 4 Austin Peay, 7 p.m.