Otahks need 'three good games'

Southeast Missouri State University's Otahkians didn't have to wait long to try and avenge a recent loss.

Murray State, which beat Southeast 64-59 on Thursday in Murray, Ky., visits the Show Me Center tonight for a 7 p.m. first-round game in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

The Otahkians are 15-12 and they finished fourth in the conference at 10-6. The Racers (13-14, 9-7) tied for fifth and received the No. 5 tournament seed, marking their highest seed since 1999-2000. Southeast is seeded fourth.

"Everybody starts off a new season right now. Everybody is 0-0," Southeast coach B.J. Smith said. "We've really had an up and down season, but we need to put three good games together this week."

Southeast finished second in the OVC during Smith's first season last year, and the Otahkians advanced to the conference tournament championship game before losing to Austin Peay.

Smith acknowledges the Otahkians, the OVC preseason favorites, haven't quite lived up to expectations so far this season, but they can more than make up for it this week.

"This is really what you play all season for," Smith said. "If we play well this week, I feel we can beat any team they put in front of us."

The Otahkians and Racers split their two regular-season meetings, Southeast winning 74-60 on Feb. 7 in Cape Girardeau. Smith has plenty of respect for the job first-year MSU coach Joi Williams has done with the Racers' previously struggling program.

"They're a much improved team, and she's done a great job," Smith said.

MSU will carry a four-game winning streak into tonight's contest.

"I'm excited about the way we're playing, but at this point everybody is 0-0," Williams said. "SEMO definitely has a very good team, and I'm sure they'll have our last game on the forefront of their minds."

Southeast took a seven-game winning streak to Murray, Ky., on Thursday, but the Racers ended it. Then Saturday, the Otahkians closed out the regular season by wasting a 15-point halftime lead and losing at Tennessee-Martin 78-75 in overtime.

Smith said he doesn't think losing the last two games before the tournament will have a negative impact.

"Obviously you want to go in winning, but I think this woke our ladies up," he said. "Our team has been a team that seems like it has to get hit in the nose before it gets going. I think we went to Murray State too relaxed last week."

But Smith admitted that the Racers' win over Southeast should give them added confidence tonight.

"I'm sure they'll feel really good about themselves," Smith said. "It's going to be a good game, and we're going to have to play well."

Senior guard Megan Fuqua leads the Racers in scoring with 13.1 points per game. Also in double figures are junior guard Stacy Holmes (12.6 ppg) and junior guard Rebecca Remington (10.6 ppg).

"Fuqua is really playing well," Smith said.

Southeast has four double-figure scorers. Senior guard Kenja White and junior guard Sami Jo Cotton both average 11 points per game while senior forward Yashika Sidbury and junior center Chandra Brown are each at 10 points a contest. Senior guard Sarah Costello leads the OVC in assists.

The winner tonight advances to a noon semifinal game on Friday in Nashville, Tenn., against the winner of today's contest between top-seeded Austin Peay and No. 8 Morehead State.