OTAHKS SHOOT FOR ANOTHER BIG ROAD VICTORY TONIGHT

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Otahkians will carry an added dose of confidence when they close out a stretch of three straight road games tonight at Tennessee-Martin.

The tipoff for the Ohio Valley Conference contest is set for 7 p.m. at Skyhawk Arena in Martin, Tenn.

Southeast is coming off a big 74-65 OVC win at Murray State. The Saturday afternoon victory broke a five-game losing streak for the Otahkians.

"We really needed that one," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen, whose team is 5-10 overall and 3-5 in OVC play. "It was a pivotal game that could have gone either way but we were able to pull it out."

Thanks in large part to unheralded junior Shauna Cook, who scored a career-high 31 points. Cook, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward, had been averaging just 1.8 points per game and her previous career scoring high had been nine points.

"Shauna got her confidence going and, as we all know, confidence is such a big factor in any sport," Arnzen said.

UTM has been one of the early-season surprise teams in the OVC. The Skyhawks beat league-leading Eastern Illinois 73-69 Saturday to improve to 5-2 in OVC play and 8-7 overall.

The Skyhawks are in a three-way tie for third place in the scrambled OVC standings, just one-half game behind Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois, who are both 6-2.

Southeast is in seventh place, but the Otahkians are very much within striking distance of the upper division.

"Tennessee-Martin has really been playing well and it's going to be tough to beat them at their place," said Arnzen. "But I think it's a winnable game for us. And it's a game that, if we do win, it puts us right back in a pretty good position to make a move (in the OVC standings)."

Following tonight's game, the Otahkians will be off until Saturday when they play host to Eastern Illinois in a 5:30 p.m. contest at the Show Me Center.