OTAHKS IN DIRE NEED OF HOME VICTORY TONIGHT AGAINST EIU

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen hates to consider any game a must-win situation.

But Arnzen figures he has no choice right now. Today's Ohio Valley Conference contest against Eastern Illinois, set for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center, is one the Otahkians simply must win.

"I think it really is," said Arnzen. "It's a game we really have to have."

Arnzen believes the contest is critical because the Otahkians have to start making a move upward in the OVC standings. A goal for any league squad is to finish at least fourth in the 10-team conference in order to secure a first-round OVC Tournament game at home.

The Otahkians were able to do that last year, when they had their best-ever Division I season and wound up fourth in the league, just one game out of first place. The first-round OVC tourney home contest they earned helped propel them to the league tournament semifinals in Nashville, Tenn.

Southeast was picked in the preseason to finish fourth in the league this year and Arnzen firmly believes his team can still accomplish that.

But, with a 2-5 OVC record the same mark as EIU, which ties the squads for eighth place Arnzen knows the time for the Otahkians to start making a move is now, particularly during a four-game homestand that started with Tuesday's 82-65 loss to first-place Tennessee Tech.

"There is still so much basketball left to be played, and I think after Tennessee Tech, there is not a whole lot of difference between any of the other teams (in the OVC)," said Arnzen, w hose squad is 5-10 overall. "I have to get our players to understand that, other than Tech (which has already defeated Southeast twice), we can beat any team in the conference.

"But we have to start stepping up. We can't afford to put ourselves in too much more of a hole or we might not be able to climb out of it."

While Arnzen believes Tennessee Tech (7-0) is headed for a runaway OVC title he thinks most of the other spots are totally up for grabs.

Eastern Kentucky is in second place at 5-2, but the Lady Colonels have shown plenty of vulnerability. Ditto for Middle Tennessee and Tennessee-Martin -- who both shared last year's OVC title with Tech -- who are each 4-3 and tied for third place with surprising Murray State.

Austin Peay and Tennessee State -- two more early-season surprises -- are both 4-4 and tied for sixth. Then come Southeast and EIU, followed by last-place Morehead State at 0-7.

Arnzen believes that EIU, which is 4-11 overall, is dangerous, particularly after a recent upset of Tennessee-Martin on the road.

"They've got a new (coaching) staff and they're obviously getting better," Arnzen said. "I think they're a lot like most of the other (OVC) teams in that they can beat just about anybody on a given night."

The Lady Panthers, under first-year coach Linda Wunder, are led offensively by 6-foot-3 center Leah Aldrich-Franklin, who averages 10.5 points per game after leading the league with more than 21 points a contest last year.

"She's one of the better players in the league," said Arnzen of Aldrich-Franklin. "Her scoring is down because she only gets the ball as part of their offense, but she's still very good. And their guards are better than last year."

Also averaging in double figures is Angie Patzner (10.2 ppg), who is shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.