OTAHKIANS WIN COWGIRL CONSOLATION GAME 77-53

LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Southeast Missouri's women's basketball team bounced back from its first-round loss in McNeese State's Cowgirl Classic to defeat Texas-Pan American 77-53 in consolation action Saturday.

McNeese State won its own tournament, defeating Alcorn State 65-61 in the championship game.

Southeast went 1-1 in the tournament and is now 3-2 on the season.

Alcorn State had relegated Southeast to the consolation contest with a 66-59 victory Friday night. The Otahkians shot just 37 percent from the floor in Friday's loss, but warmed up to 51 percent in Saturday's victory.

Against Pan American, Pam Iverson led the Otahks' hot shooting, as well as scoring, by connecting on 8 of her 12 field goal attempts. She sank all six of her free throws for a team-high 22 points. Paula Corder, who hit 5 of 8 shots from the field, was the Otahkians' only other double figure scorer with 19 points.

Pan American scored the game's first four points, but Southeast answered with a 14-0 run over a five minute span to take the lead for good. Iverson scored eight of her points in the spurt as Southeast led 14-4 with 12:50 left in the half.

The Otahkians led 30-20 at halftime. Pan American trimmed the lead to 34-25 with 15 minutes left in the game, but never got closer.

Jennette Bolovinos paced Pan American with 22 points while Cara Steed scored 18.

Iverson also led the Otahkians in scoring in Friday's loss to Alcorn State with 14 points. She was the only Otahkian to reach double figures.

Iverson was named to the six-player all-tournament team. McNeese State's Stacie Davis earned the tournament's MVP award.