OTAHKIANS ROMP IN FINAL TUNEUP

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team made it a clean exhibition sweep Sunday as the Otahkians rolled past Family, a squad featuring former collegiate players based out of Indianapolis, 97-58 at the Show Me Center.

Family, a late replacement for a foreign team that had originally been scheduled to play the Otahkians, showed up Sunday with just six players so they enlisted the services of Rusty Sowers, a standout on last year's Southeast squad.

Sowers did her part by scoring a team-high 24 points, but she could do little to halt the Otahkians onslaught."I'm not sure the competition was all that good tonight, but we accomplished a lot of things," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen, whose squad had rolled past St. Louis Goldstar in its first exhibition contest. "The two exhibition games turned out good for us, but we can't think we're world beaters." All 12 Otahkians who were in uniform scored at least four points and played at least 10 minutes Sunday.

Six Otahkians scored in double figures, led by Pam Iversen with 12 points. Paula Corder-King and LaShelle Porter both had 11 points while Regan Hughston, Kristy Roherty and Lori Chase all added 10.

Now the Otahkians will prepare for Friday's regular-season opener against Mississippi Valley State in the Arkansas State Tournament.