OTAHKS WINLESS BUT CONFIDENT AGAINST MTSU

Sure, Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team finished only seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference's regular season.

But the way coach Ed Arnzen sees it, why can't the Otahkians go on the road and pull off an OVC Tournament upset tonight?

Arnzen believes there is no reason his team can't surprise Middle Tennessee in the 7 p.m. first-round game in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Lady Raiders are seeded second in the eight-team tourney while the Otahkians are seeded seventh.

Tonight's winner advances to Saturday's semifinals in Nashville, Tenn., against the winner of the Austin Peay at Tennessee-Martin contest.

"We played at Murfreesboro once before and the game went into overtime, then we played them close at our place," said Arnzen. "I think we have a good shot at them.

"We're excited to be in the tournament. At this stage, everybody is 0-0. We're still playing. Obviously, we'd like to be at home, but we're not."

Southeast, which suffered through an injury-plagued regular season, went 11-16 overall and 7-11 in OVC play. But the Otahkians did finish strong, winning three of their last four games, including two of their last three road contests.

"We won two of our last three on the road and we could have conceivably won our final game (an overtime loss at Eastern Kentucky Saturday), so I think we've gotten our road problems taken care of," Arnzen said. "I think we'll go on the road with quite a bit of confidence."

The Otahkians will need plenty of confidence against the OVC's hottest team. MTSU, 17-10 overall and 13-5 in league play, has won its last nine games to finish a strong second in the OVC.

"They're playing very well right now," said Arnzen of the Lady Raiders.

MTSU boasts four double-figure scorers, led by Jamie Thomatis at 16.6 points per game. She is followed by Joanna Aluka (11.2 ppg), Erica Lufkin (10.8 ppg) and Kelly Chastain (10.3 ppg).

"Their strength is their inside game with Thomatis and Aluka," said Arnzen. "We have a hard time defending them. They're not real big, both about 5-11, but they're strong kids. They've also got two good outside shooters in Lufkin and Chastain."

Southeast lost to MTSU 85-81 in overtime on Dec. 4 in Murfreesboro and 67-58 on Feb. 8 in Cape Girardeau.

"They're a good club, but I think we've got a chance," Arnzen said. "I've said all along that it's Tennessee Tech and everybody else in our league this year. I still believe that. I think everybody else is pretty even and we've got as good a shot as the other teams."