OTAHKS END LONG HOLIDAY LAYOFF

Revenge -- and shaking off potential holiday rust -- will be on the mind of Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team today.

The Otahkians will have their first game in three weeks when Mississippi Valley State pays a visit to the Show Me Center for a noon tipoff. There will be no admission charge.

Southeast, which has won two straight to even its record at 4-4, blew a 10-point halftime lead and lost to MVSU 69-63 in overtime on Dec. 4 in Itta Bena, Miss.

"We dropped a heartbreaker at their place earlier in a game I felt like we should have won," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "I know we would like to get some revenge for that, and it's just going to be good to play again after having quite a bit of time off."

The Otahkians' last game was Dec. 9 when they won at Belmont (Tenn.). After completing their finals, the players were allowed to go home for a couple of weeks before returning back to Cape Girardeau to resume practice Tuesday.

"I'm sure you lose some conditioning (during a layoff), but what I worry most about is kids forgetting that competitive edge they need," Arnzen said. "But I believe what you lose in that, you make up for in resting up and getting fresh."

MVSU's only win so far this season was the triumph over the Otahkians. The Devilettes are 1-4, their most recent setback being a 116-34 pasting at Kansas on Dec. 21.

"If we play well, I would hope we'd have a good chance to win," said Arnzen. "But they beat us earlier and we can't take them for granted. We have to be ready to play."

Following today's game, the Otahkians will have one more non-league contest, that being Tuesday when Arkansas-Little Rock comes to the Show Me Center.