OTAHKIANS TO SHOOT FOR ANOTHER SURPRISE CAGE WIN UNDER PENALTY

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen isn't knocking his Otahkians when he says he didn't know if they could win any game without their three missing starters.

Arnzen is just being realistic. After all, you expect things to be pretty tough when your leading scorer and rebounder, your second-leading scorer and your point guard are taken away from you for a four-game stretch against some of the best the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association has to offer.

That's the situation the Otahkians faced after Jerri Wiley, Renee Rogliardi and Sarita Wesley were among five players suspended by the MIAA for the first four games of the conference schedule.

The four were penalized because they inadvertently participated illegally on the same team during the Show Me Games last summer. The NCAA ruled there was no violation, but the MIAA decided to take some action anyway.

"Realistically, we probably should not have been able to win any of those four games," said Arnzen.

But, lo and behold, here we are just two contests into the four-game stretch and the Otahkians have already picked up a victory, winning 65-53 at Northwest Missouri State last Saturday. They also played extremely tough at Washburn last Thursday before dropping a 60-56 decision.

"I've never been around a club that's played so hard in a two-game set," said Arnzen, whose team has been able to use just eight players, including five freshmen.

Arnzen will be looking for that same type of effort today when the Otahkians take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis Riverwomen in a 5:30 p.m. MIAA game at UMSL's Mark Twain Center.

Southeast is 9-2 overall and 1-1 in league play. There's no doubt the MIAA expected the Otahkians to start the conference season 0-4 without their three key players.

"I think we've already surprised a lot of people by winning one game," said Arnzen, whose club is ranked 14th in this week's NCAA Division II poll. "But now we're not satisfied. We'll take it one game at a time these next two."

The Otahkians host Central Missouri State Saturday night in their final outing without those suspended players.

Tonight's foe, UMSL, plays a wide-open brand of basketball. The Riverwomen average 90 points per game but they give up 89 points a contest.

"I'm positive we won't score 89," said Arnzen with a laugh. "So if we want to win, we can't let them score 90."

Tammy Putnam, a 5-foot-11 junior forward, averages 15.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game to lead the Riverwomen.

Kim Cooper, a 5-8 junior forward who is a former standout at Notre Dame High in Cape Girardeau, averages 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Also scoring 14.3 points per contest is 5-7 junior guard Monica Steinhoff, one of the premier long-range shooters in the conference.

Point guard Lisa Houska, a 5-5 senior, contributes 9.1 points and 6.3 assists a game. The fifth starter, 5-11 senior center Kris Earhart, averages 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Kelly Jenkins, a 5-7 junior guard/forward, comes off the bench to score 10.8 points per game.

The Otahkians have been led in the last two games by their lone senior currently eligible, 5-7 Sherry Mitchell, who is playing the point on offense and inside on defense.

Mitchell scored 17 points against Washburn and then had a monster game against Northwest with 15 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists.

"Sherry is the heart and soul of this club right now," said Arnzen.

Freshman Jody Pugh also had 17 against Washburn. She had 10 against Northwest. Two more freshmen, Anne Cate and Jennifer Cavaness, scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, against Northwest.

"I'm hoping a lot of Southeast fans will go up early today and see us play," Arnzen said. "With our young team, that fan support could make all the difference in the world."

UMSL is 7-2 overall and 1-0 in MIAA play.