OTAHKS FACE OVC-LEADING TENNESSEE TECH TONIGHT

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team will try to get healthy during a four-game homestand but starting out that stretch on a positive note certainly won't be easy.

The Otahkians, reeling from a pair of Ohio Valley Conference road losses last week, take on the OVC's top squad today when Tennessee Tech visits the Show Me Center for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.

Tech is 5-0 in league play and 10-6 overall. Southeast, 5-9 overall, is 2-4 in OVC play and tied for eighth place in the 10-team league.

"It's the beginning of a big homestand for us and we've played well at home," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "But we have to step up and do something."

Aside from the fact Tech is in first place in the OVC, Arnzen considers the Golden Eaglettes to be far and away the league's top team.

"Looking at our conference, I think it's Tennessee Tech and everybody else," he said. "I think they're head and shoulders above everybody else, and after that, I think there are a lot of teams that are pretty even.

"Nobody has come close to them, except us at their place. They've beaten everybody else substantially and they're really on a roll right now."

Southeast gave Tech quite a run for its money during a Dec. 2 game in Cookeville, Tenn., before the Eaglettes squeezed out a 65-61 decision.

That was one of four narrow road defeats the Otahkians have already suffered in OVC play. Southeast lost by four points in overtime at Middle Tennessee, by six points at Tennessee-Martin and by five points at Murray State.

"We're close, but we're just not putting two good halves together," Arnzen said.

In order to have a shot at pulling off the upset today, Arnzen said the Otahkians will have to be solid in several areas.

"We'll have to shoot the ball well, we'll have to cut down our number of turnovers, we'll have to be able to handle their trap and we'll have to get on the glass," he said.

Arnzen said the Eaglettes feature the OVC's top inside scoring tandem in 6-foot sophomore forward Janet Holt (17 points, 7.5 rebounds per game) and 6-2 senior center Diane Seng (15.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg).

"Those two are very good and they don't really lose a thing when they bring (6-1 Collin) Carmichael off the bench," said Arnzen. "They've also got some very good 3-point shooters, so they can really hurt you inside and outside."

A top outside threat for the Eaglettes is 5-4 sophomore guard Allison Clark (12.2 ppg), who is shooting well over 40 percent from 3-point range.

With four losses already in league play and with Tech looking so strong, Arnzen said it might not be realistic for the Otahkians to still have a shot at winning the OVC title.

Arnzen said the Otahkians' primary goal is to finish among the OVC's top four teams and earn a first-round home game in the league tournament.

"I don't think it's a must-win game for us (today), but it's really a big homestand," he said. "It's very important to finish in the top four and play a (tournament) game at home."