OTAHKIANS RETURN THE FAVOR, TOP LADY EAGLES IN OT 82-74

Scanning the box score after Southeast Missouri State's game against Morehead State Monday night, Otahkians coach Ed Arnzen struggled to find desirable numbers.

"It was not a well-played ballgame by either team," Arnzen noted.

But ultimately, just one figure was significant for Arnzen: 82-74, the score in Southeast's overtime win against the Ohio Valley Conference's cellar dweller.

The 535 fans at the Show Me Center saw Southeast do to the Lady Eagles what they did to the Otahkians in Morehead early last month: hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds and prevail in overtime.

With 11 seconds remaining Monday and the Otahkians trailing 64-61, Southeast's Rusty Sowers brought the ball downcourt, then dribbled around the perimeter with no apparent idea of what she wanted to do. She then gave the ball to Sherry Cook, who in desperation flung the ball from well behind the arc through the net as time expired.

"I was screaming at the top of my voice (to Sowers), `Pass the ball. Pass the ball.' I thought she was going to hang onto it too long. Sherry Cook was open for what seemed like several seconds. You're right. It was a miraculous shot right at the exact instant of the end of regulation."

Southeast (7-12, 5-7 OVC) shot just 22 percent in the first half and 29 percent for the game. But Morehead (6-14, 2-10) turned the ball over a whopping 30 times and shot only 35 percent.

"I don't know how we won," Arnzen said. "You've got to shoot the ball better than what we shot it in order to have a chance. But somehow we scrapped and hung in there, and got enough offensive rebounds (21) -- that's the only category on (the box score) that looks good -- that we could shoot the ball after we missed.

"But a "W" is a "W." It was a complete blue collar job. This win was critical to keep us in the conference race."

After Morehead shot 45 percent in the first half, Southeast limited the Lady Eagles to 27-percent shooting in the second half. The Otahkians shot 37 percent in the second half.

"I think we played better in the second half," Arnzen said. "I think we played with a little bit of emotion. Toward the last six or seven minutes of the first half, I was disappointed in our players because ... I thought their heads were dropping."

Heads hung because Southeast made just one field goal in the last 8:04 of the first half and trailed 37-29 at the break.

But the Otahkians went on a 13-0 run early in the second half and gained the lead, 44-43, with 13:12 left. Morehead held the lead, 49-48, with 8:51 remaining until Cook's shot at the buzzer, her only field goal of the game.

In overtime, Southeast took the lead with 3:42 left on a 3-pointer by Jamie Koester, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, and controlled play from there.

"It was probably one of the most important games of the year," said Southeast point guard Sowers, who hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points. "So we pulled together and came out with some intensity in the second half. It was a great win."

Annie Struve had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Tajuana White tallied 10 points and seven rebounds and Dana Hawkins totaled 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Southeast.

Megan Kellough paced Morehead with 13 points, Vette Robinson and Natalia Boyd each had 12 points off the bench and Marcisha Brazley added 11 points.