OTAHKS' RECORD, IVERSEN'S KNEE BOTH IMPROVING

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen figures it's not a coincidence that the Otahkians' recent hot streak has come at just about the same time junior center Pam Iversen has started to round into form after major offseason knee surgery.

Iversen, the Otahkians' leading returning scorer from last season who has been a fixture in the starting lineup since she was a freshman, struggled during the non-conference portion of the schedule, slow to recover after the reconstructive surgery she endured.

But once Ohio Valley Conference play began early this month, Iversen has thrived to help Southeast get off to a 4-1 league start heading into Saturday's game at Eastern Illinois.

"Pam has really been playing well the last couple of weeks," said Arnzen, whose squad is 9-6 overall. "She's a very important part of our team and it's just taken her time to come around."

In Southeast's five OVC games, the 6-foot-2 Iversen has averaged 12 points and eight rebound per game while shooting a sizzling 62.2 percent from the field. She has boosted her season scoring average to 7.9 points, which is fourth on the team, and she ranks third in the OVC in field-goal percentage (57.8) and seventh in rebounding (6.9).

"I think Pam getting healthier these last few weeks has really been a key for us," Arnzen said. "She's been one of the better centers in our league the last two years, but she just wasn't healthy early in the season. I still don't think she's 100 percent, but she's getting closer."

With Iversen producing in recent games, the Otahkians have been able to field a well-rounded lineup that has been effective both from the outside and on the inside.

Veronica Benson, a junior-college transfer who has given Southeast quite a boost at guard, is the Otahkians' leading scorer with a 13-point average, which ranks 12th in the OVC. She is fifth in conference field-goal percentage (54.2).

Sophomore forward Lori Chase has been strong with averages of 12.4 points (14th in the OVC) and 6.2 rebounds (10th in the league) as she has picked up where she left off from her solid freshman season. Chase, averaging 14.8 points in conference play, is also the OVC's fifth-best free-throw shooter (84 percent).

Sophomore point guard LaShelle Porter has teamed with Benson to form one of the OVC's quicker backcourts. Averaging 8.8 points on the season, which is third-best on the squad, Porter is at 10 points in league play and she has hit five of eight 3-pointers (62.5 percent) in conference action.

Two other young guards -- freshman Christine Rathke and sophomore Tiffany Melis -- have also given the Otahkians a major boost in OVC play.

Rathke, averaging 6.3 points for the season, is at 9.2 in the conference, having hit three of her five 3-pointers (60 percent). Melis, who was recently moved into the starting lineup, is averaging 9.6 points in league play (she's at 5.9 overall) and has hit 11 of 23 3-pointers (47.8 percent) in conference action.

Throw in freshman center Tisa Thomas (6.4 ppg), who has been strong off the bench, along with a few other key role players and it's all added up to a winning combination since conference play started.

"We've really been playing well lately, and the good thing is I still think we're going to get a lot better," said Arnzen. "We're still a very young ballclub."

The Otahkians certainly are young. They have just one senior, reserve forward Kim Nicholson, and five of their top seven scorers are either sophomores or freshmen.

* Defense and rebounding have been major keys for the Otahkians so far this season.

Southeast leads the OVC in scoring defense (65.1 ppg) while ranking second in both field-goal percentage defense (42.2) and rebounding margin (plus 3.7).