OTAHKS EYE UPSET VS. LADY GOVS

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team continues to dig itself a deep hole in the Ohio Valley Conference race and things sure won't get any easier today.

Austin Peay, the defending OVC champion, will pay a visit to the Show Me Center for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Lady Govs, after beating Eastern Illinois 80-67 on the road Saturday, are 12-8 overall and 8-3 in OVC play. Austin Peay is tied with Tennessee Tech for second place in the league, behind 10-2 Eastern Kentucky.

Meanwhile, the Otahkians continued to struggle Saturday as they lost at home to Tennessee State 84-70. Southeast fell to 4-14 overall and a last-place 2-8 in the 10-team OVC.

"Austin Peay is a very good basketball team," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen, whose squad is 0-2 during its current four-game homestand that will conclude Thursday against Murray State. "They're huge, 6-2 and 6-1 up front, and their two inside girls are really agile."

The Lady Govs used a stifling press to rout the Otahkians 86-58 early last month in Clarksville, Tenn. Arnzen expects Southeast to face plenty of pressure again tonight.

"We had a difficult time with their press when we played them in Clarksville," Arnzen said. "I'm sure they'll come out and press us this time as well. We'll have to handle the ball a lot better or we'll be in trouble."

Following today's game and Thursday's contest against Murray State, the Otahkians will head back out on the road to face Morehead State Saturday and Eastern Kentucky Sunday.

"We have to start making something happening if we're going to get into the (OVC) tournament," said Arnzen. "We're running out of time."