OTAHKS TO FIND TEST IN INDIANA ST.

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen believes he has an extremely improved team this season.

But Arnzen figures to find out just how much better the Otahkians are today, when they face a strong Indiana State squad on the road. The tipoff in Terre Haute, Ind., is set for 4:30 p.m.

"We'll definitely know a lot more about our team after today's game," said Arnzen.

The Sycamores, 17-11 last season, are off to a 1-0 start this year after an impressive 83-56 road victory over Eastern Illinois Wednesday night.

"They are a very good team," said Arnzen. "They're a veteran club that will be very quick and can shoot the basketball, but they are not very big. Any team that goes into Eastern Illinois and wins by almost 30 has to be pretty good."

After seeing his team struggle the last two seasons, Arnzen knows he has more talent to work with this year. The Otahkians, also 1-0, opened the new campaign with a 94-51 win over Division II Christian Brothers last Saturday.

"That was a good game to open the season with, but this game will be totally different," Arnzen said. "It's going to be a big challenge, but I'm looking forward to it. I want to see how we react, regardless of the outcome. It's our first game away from home and we've got a lot of youth, so it's going to be interesting."

Arnzen has no doubt that Indiana State will be one of the best teams the Otahkians will face this season.

"I believe they will be," he said. "They split with Southwest Missouri last year, so that tells you how good they are. They'll show us a lot of defensive pressure and how we handle it and keep our composure will be two of the big keys to the game."

Following today's contest, the Otahkians will host the University of Missouri Tuesday night. Arnzen knows these back-to-back games will be a rugged stretch for his squad.

"I think these games will be good for us," he said. "They'll give us an indication of where we are. We've got a lot of kids who have never been thrown in the fire before, but they will be now."