OTAHKIANS' OVC TOURNEY DREAMS END

The last home game of the season for Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team also served to officially eliminate the Otahkians from a possible spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Middle Tennessee State, on the other hand, stayed very much in the battle for an OVC tourney berth as the Lady Raiders rolled past the Otahkians 78-63 Monday at the Show Me Center.

Southeast, with two road games left, fell to 5-19 overall and 3-13 in OVC play with its fourth straight loss.

The Otahkians remained in last place in the 10-team league. Only the top eight teams in the final regular-season standings qualify for the conference tournament and Southeast can mathematically only finish as high as ninth place.

MTSU, which is now 8-19 overall and 6-11 in OVC play, moved up to eighth place in the league.

"We didn't play well and I didn't think we had a good effort for the most part," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "At halftime, I was disappointed because in this game you have to play hard. I thought we played much harder in the second half."

Kim Palmer, one of two Southeast seniors playing their final home game (along with Dawn Massani), scored 16 points to lead the Otahkians. She also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Jamie Koester added 14 points.

Cortney Neeley led the Lady Raiders with 19 points as she hit four of six 3-point shots. Jonelda Buck had 18 points, Jessica Beaty scored 15 and Tanika Smith added 14.

The Lady Raiders dominated the contest from virtually start to finish as the Otahkians never led.

MTSU built an early 25-9 lead and was ahead 47-31 at halftime. The Lady Raiders then scored the first five points of the second half to open up a 52-31 bulge.

The Lady Raiders led by as many as 27 points in the final half and Southeast never got closer than the final 15-point margin.

"We were never really in the game from the opening tip," Arnzen said. "Middle Tennessee came out running. Unless you play hard, you can't keep up with people that run."

Southeast will return to action Thursday at Tennessee-Martin, then the Otahkians will close out the season Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

While the Otahkians won't be fighting for a spot in the OVC tourney, Arnzen will be disappointed if his team doesn't put out a good effort in the final two games.

"The game has to have integrity," he said. "As long as they hang a scoreboard in the gym, you have to play hard and you have to try to win. You owe it to the sport and the school you represent."