OTAHKS COOL OFF AUSTIN PEAY, HEAT UP FOR 74-72 WIN

After seeing Austin Peay shoot 53 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes to build a nine-point halftime lead, Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen knew his Otahkians would have to step up their defense.

Mission accomplished.

The Otahkians held the Lady Governors to 38 percent in the second half as they rallied for a 74-72 Ohio Valley Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.

Southeast, which posted its third straight win, improved to 5-7 overall and 2-2 in OVC play. Austin Peay is also 5-7 overall and the Lady Govs fell to 1-3 in the league.

"It's a huge win for us. I believe Austin Peay is a good club. They'll be reckoned with," said Arnzen. "I think our second-half defense was the difference. I thought we were much more intense. We came out scratching and clawing.

"Austin Peay played awfully well in the first half. I told the kids at halftime we just had to hang in there. I didn't think they could continue to shoot that well and they didn't."

The roles were actually somewhat reversed in each half. While the Lady Govs sizzled offensively over the opening 20 minutes and the Otahkians struggled (shooting 39 percent), Southeast caught fire in the final period (shooting 52 percent) as Austin Peay went cold.

Pam Iversen had a big game for the Otahkians, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The sophomore center hit 10 of 16 shots from the field.

"We played better defense in the second half and we ran the ball better," said Iversen. "Austin Peay is a tough team so this is a big win for us."

Paula Corder-King added 16 points while Liea Toedte contributed 11 points, five assists and solid defense on Brooke Armistead, the OVC's leading scorer. Armistead had just four of her 15 points in the second half.

"I always try to focus on defense and I think the whole team does," Toedte said. "I think we tried to play defense harder in the second half."

Said Arnzen, "Pam has played better and better the last four games and Liea had a very good defensive effort on Armistead."

Regan Hughston added seven points and eight rebounds as Southeast won the battle of the boards by a 40 to 32 count.

Also contributing heavily was reserve center Allison Iversen, Pam's older sister. Allison had scored just two points all season but she hit two big baskets during Southeast's second-half rally.

"We don't win without Allison Iversen and Kim Nicholson, who didn't score but played well. They both played huge," Arnzen said.

Paige Smith, like Armistead a sharp-shooting freshman, paced the Lady Govs with 19 points. Also in double figures were Tiffany McCarley with 12 and Quin Sullivan and Kelly Chavez with 10 each. Chavez dished out 10 assists.

With Smith and Armistead lighting it up early they scored 13 and 11 first-half points, respectively Austin Peay led by as many as 11 points before carrying a 40-31 advantage into the break.

Southeast used a 7-0 run early in the second half to pull within 42-40 and the Otahkians finally took their first lead since midway in the opening half when Kristy Roherty's 3-pointer made it 52-50 with 9:56 left.

The Otahkians built a 65-59 lead before Austin Peay rallied for a 66-66 tie on Sullivan's follow shot with 2:10 remaining.

Southeast went ahead for good at 68-66 on Pam Iversen's short jumper at the 1:43 mark. Corder-King hit a jumper and Toedte made two free throws for a 72-66 lead with just under one minute to play.

Smith's 3-pointer made it 72-69 with 45 seconds left. Corder-King hit two foul shots with nine seconds remaining to pretty much ice things. Smith nailed another 3-pointer with one second left but Southeast was able to run out the clock.

The Otahkians return to action Thursday at Tennessee-Martin.