ROAD-WEARY OTAHKIANS TRY TO REGROUP ON HOME FLOOR

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team has played well at home so far this season and the Otahkians will need that trend to continue this week if they are to make any noise at all in the Ohio Valley Conference race.

The Otahkians begin a three-game homestand today with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Middle Tennessee State.

Thursday, the Otahkians play Tennessee-Martin, followed by a Saturday game against Murray State.

"It's time to step up for us," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "We're going to have to play well (during the homestand), because all three are very good clubs."

Southeast is struggling at 8-12 overall and 5-7 in OVC play, which has the Otahkians in a three-way tie for seventh place in the 10-team league.

But the Otahkians can draw some optimism from the fact they have gone 5-1 in OVC home games so far this season, losing only to league-leader Tennessee Tech. Conversely, Southeast is 0-6 in conference road contests.

"We have played well at home, but we can't assume we're going to win just because we're at home," said Arnzen. "Just about all of our home games have been close."

Arnzen knows that a successful homestand this week will once again put the Otahkians right in the thick of the hunt for a decent OVC finish and keep them very much alive to finish in the all-important top four.

The top eight teams in the final standings qualify for the league's postseason tournament, which is Southeast's first order of business. But also important is to finish among the top four squads, thus earning a first-round tourney home game.

Right now, the OVC race is scrambled enough after Tennessee Tech that the second through ninth spots are totally up for grabs.

Tennessee Tech is running away with the title at 12-0. But less than three games separate the next eight squads.

Murray State is second at 7-4 while Middle Tennessee and Austin Peay are tied for third at 7-5.

Eastern Kentucky is fifth at 6-6, with Tennessee-Martin sixth at 5-6. Southeast, Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State are all tied for seventh at 5-7, with Morehead State having all but locked up the bottom spot at 0-12.

So the Otahkians could still very easily finish anywhere from second to ninth, depending on how they perform in their last six regular-season games.

"Everything is still just so wide open," Arnzen said. "If anybody gets hot and kind of takes care of their own business, they'll be right up there.

"Right now, we could basically finish anywhere from second to ninth. But we have to start making a move."

Middle Tennessee, 10-10 overall, beat Southeast 85-81 in overtime earlier this season in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Arnzen expects another tight game today.

"They're a very good club, very athletic, with good outside shooters and a strong inside game," he said. "It's going to be a tough ballgame, but all of them are."