SENIORS SAY OTAHKS NEW, IMPROVED; SOUTHEAST TOUTS BETTER SIZE, TALENT, CHEMISTRY

The four seniors on Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team would love dearly to close out their college careers on a winning note.

And all said during Tuesday's media day at the Show Me Center that they truly believe the Otahkians will be able to turn around last year's 8-19 record.

"What people don't see is the team unity and I think that's what will make us successful," said guard Rusty Sowers, the Otahkians' leading returning scorer who averaged 10.5 points per game and paced the squad with 51 3-pointers last year. "Last year the bonding just wasn't there, but this year it is. This is probably the closest team I've been on since high school.

"All the seniors have worked really hard and we're trying to be good leaders. I really think we're going to have a good season."

Forward Tajuana White, the second-leading returning scorer (8.8 ppg) and top rebounder (5.2 rpg) from a year ago, said, "I think we're going to have a good year. We seem a lot closer than we were last year."

The Cook twins from Jackson -- the only two seniors who have been with the program the past four years -- heartily agree.

"Out of the four years I've been here, this has been the best start to the season we've had," said Shauna, a guard/forward who had a career-high 31 points against Murray State last season.

"Everybody has such a good attitude and we've also got a lot more talent, with some really good new players. We have an inside game and we have some height. I think this year will be really good."

Said Sherry, also a guard/forward, "It's the first year everybody has seemed to click. We have more depth and I believe we should be at the top of the conference."

Otahkian coach Ed Arnzen certainly hopes his seniors turn out to be accurate prognosticators because he's had a hard time handling what his team has done on the court the last two seasons.

In addition to going 8-19 last year and finishing tied for eighth in the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference, the Otahkians went just 5-21 two seasons ago, which included a last-place OVC finish.

Before the last two struggling seasons, Southeast had compiled just one losing record in the past 13 years under Arnzen, who has a 280-151 career record as he enters his 16th season in charge of the Otahkians.

"The last two years were pretty tough," Arnzen said. "But with the players we have returning and the newcomers, I believe we have all the ingredients for success this year. If everything comes together, I think we could be very good."

Arnzen will be counting on the four seniors for plenty of help, both on and off the court.

"They can give us great leadership and lots of minutes on the floor," he said. "I think the tone is often set by your seniors and they've done a great job so far."

In addition to the four seniors, other returning players are junior point guard Moneik Campbell, sophomore center Annie Struve and sophomore forward Kim Nicholson.

Campbell and Struve rank third and fourth among the leading returning scorers from last year at 7.8 and 6.5 points per game. Campbell also had a team-high 86 assists.

Arnzen is looking for big things from his newcomers, who give the Otahkians more size than they've had in the past.

In addition to the 6-foot-1 Struve, the Otahkians will have the 6-3 Iverson sisters -- junior Allison and freshman Pam -- along with 6-1 freshman Reagan Hughston in the paint.

Allison Iverson was at Southeast last year but redshirted. Pam was a sought-after recruit who helped lead Denison High to the Iowa Final Four last season. Hughston led West Plains High to the Missouri Class 4A state championship last year and was named Missouri's player of the year.

A third freshman is guard Tiffany Melis from Wisconsin.

The Otahkians have two touted junior-college transfers in Paula Corder from Three Rivers in Poplar Bluff and Liea Toedte from Kaskaskia in Centralia, Ill. Both can play forward and guard.

Corder, who prepped at Ellington High, is an impressive long-range shooter who hit 83 3-points and averaged 20 points per game to earn juco All-American honors for Three Rivers. Toedte was also a juco All-American.

The Otahkians open the season Nov. 14 at home against Christian Brothers of Memphis.

Southeast will have two exhibition games, the first this Sunday when the St. Louis Gold Star Gym team comes to the Show Me Center for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Former Otahkian star Renee Rogliardi is a member of Gold Star.