OTAHKS SEE LATE RALLY FALL SHORT

It was a bit too little, too late for Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team Thursday night.

The Otahkians, despite a valiant late rally, suffered their fourth straight loss as Tennessee-Martin posted a 74-64 victory at the Show Me Center.

Southeast, continuing to fade toward the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference standings, fell to 8-14 overall and 5-9 in OVC play.

UTM, which has won three of its last four games as it continues to surge upward in the OVC, improved to 8-14 overall and 7-6 in the league.

The Otahkians trailed by 22 points in the second half before pulling to within five late. But they could get no closer.

"I was really proud of our young players who made that comeback," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "Kristy Roherty, LaShelle Porter, Jennifer Gries, Regan Hughston and Kim Nicholson were on the floor when we came back. They played hard and with enthusiasm.

"On the other hand, I was very disappointed in some of our other players. I felt like early in the game we played with very little intensity and enthusiasm, which I can't understand, being at home."

Roherty, Porter and Gries are all freshmen, Hughston is a sophomore and Nicholson is a senior.

Hughston's 15-footer with 2:48 left pulled the Otahkians to within 65-59 and Roherty's 3-pointer at the 1:55 mark made it 67-62.

But the Skyhawks scored the next six points to pull away for good.

Chasity Bohannan, UTM's 6-foot-4 center, led all scorers with 22 points as she hit seven of nine shots from the field, most of them layups over the smaller Otahkians. Bohannan entered the game averaging less than six points.

"We didn't have an answer for Bohannan," Arnzen said. "They kept lobbing over us. She has not had that good a year, but we couldn't stop her tonight."

Zabrina Harris and Tracy Webb both added 10 points for the Skyhawks.

Paula Corder-King paced the Otahkians with 15 points as she hit seven of 12 shots from the floor. Hughston added 10 points and Roherty scored nine as she hit three of seven 3-pointers.

Southeast held three one-point leads in the early going, the last coming at 9-8.

But the Skyhawks, running their offense almost flawlessly, took control and built a 45-26 lead before Southeast pulled to within 45-31 at the break.

The Skyhawks shot a sizzling 59 percent over the opening 20 minutes as they went 17-for-29, including 5-for-9 on 3-pointers.

UTM built its biggest lead at 57-35 early in the second half. Southeast then came back only to fall short.