THE LATEST LINE: LATEST OVC LOSS HURTS SEMO's HOPES OF REPEATING

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team still has 10 Ohio Valley Conference games remaining.

But the Indians' hopes of repeating as OVC regular-season champions received yet another severe jolt here Saturday night with a loss to host Eastern Illinois.

That's already four defeats in six league games for the Indians, who lost only four OVC contests all of last season.

Granted, the four losses have come against the top four teams in the current OVC standings: Tennessee Tech, Murray State, Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois.

But the fact remains that the Indians are now looking at an extremely uphill battle in the OVC race and probably nothing short of running the table the remainder of the season -- or at least winning nine out of 10 -- will give SEMO a shot at being in the hunt for the title. And even that might not be good enough.

For the Indians, their primary focus the rest of the way will be to finish at least fourth in the nine-team league. That is vital, because the top four squads in the final regular-season standings earn first-round home games for the OVC Tournament, with the semifinals and championship game to be played in Nashville, Tenn.

The goal of every OVC team when the season starts is to win the league tourney to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Capturing the regular-season title is nice, but in a conference like the OVC -- which is virtually guaranteed of receiving only one NCAA berth -- it's not the most important thing.

In order to have a realistic chance at winning the OVC Tournament, you better host a first-round game. It would be tough enough even getting to Nashville having to open on the road, but history has proven that to capture the title while starting away from home would be virtually impossible.

You never say never in sports, but the Indians have probably dug themselves too big of a hole in their attempt to win a second straight OVC regular-season title.

It's going to be tough enough even finishing in the top four, considering this is probably the best the OVC's upper division has been in quite some time. Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay, Murray State and Eastern Illinois all have quality teams and Tennessee-Martin is also not too shabby.

But a second consecutive OVC Tournament crown and accompanying NCAA berth are still possibilities. And securing a first-round home game for the conference tourney would make that task a lot more realistic.

nSEMO's women have been one of the early-season surprise teams in the OVC and it has come about after something of a dubious start in non-conference play.

The Otahkians endured a four-game losing streak at one point and their final non-league contest was a lopsided home setback against Arkansas-Little Rock.

It certainly wasn't the way coach Ed Arnzen wanted his team to begin conference play. But the Otahkians have bolted to a 5-1 OVC start and have already beaten two of the squads picked to contend for the title in Austin Peay and Murray State.

The Otahkians, whose only league loss has been a one-point overtime decision to heavy preseason favorite Tennessee Tech, are looking right now like they're going to contend for the title all the way through.

nNext Sunday's Super Bowl between the Ravens and Giants will have a semi-local angle to it.

Baltimore punter Kyle Richardson is a 1991 graduate of Farmington High School. He went to Arkansas State as a walk-on and wound up being one of the best punters in school history.

Richardson, who was never drafted and spent one year in the World League, is in his fourth NFL season and his third with the Ravens.