CHARLESTON, Ill. -- One of the top goals for Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team has fallen by the wayside, but the Otahkians still have the opportunity to salvage something out of what has been a disappointing season.

The Otahkians can no longer finish among the Ohio Valley Conference's top four teams, which would have meant hosting a first-round OVC Tournament game, something Southeast did last season.

Now the Otahkians have their sights set on simply qualifying for the conference tourney. In order to do that, they must finish at least eighth in the 10-team league.

Heading into today's 4:45 p.m. contest against host Eastern Illinois, the Otahkians and Lady Panthers are tied for that eighth and final playoff spot, both squads having 5-10 OVC records.

So today's winner will have taken a major step toward getting into the OVC tourney.

"This could very well be the game that decides who gets in," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "It's a big game for both teams."

Southeast and EIU are just one-half game behind seventh-place Tennessee State, which is 6-10, so today's winner still likely will have the opportunity to finish as high as seventh, especially considering the Lady Tigers have two very tough tests left against Middle Tennessee and Austin Peay.

Avoiding eighth place in the OVC is desirable, because that finish means a first-round tournament game at powerful Tennessee Tech, which has rolled through the league with just one loss so far.

"You'd sure like to avoid Tech if at all possible, because I think any other team in the league is beatable," Arnzen said. "But the big thing right now is to just get in the tournament."

The Otahkians, 9-15 overall, have lost five straight OVC games and they have not posted a conference road victory all season, which does not bode well for Southeast, considering its final three regular-season contests are away from home.

But the Otahkians should have a bit more confidence heading into today's game because they are coming off one of their best overall performances of the season, an 87-72 thrashing of visiting Belmont Wednesday that snapped Southeast's five-game losing streak.

"Hopefully that will give us some confidence," said Arnzen.

After today's game, the Otahkians close out the regular season next week with contests at Morehead State Thursday and Eastern Kentucky Saturday.

"We haven't played well on the road, and we have to get that turned around if we have any hopes of making the tournament," said Arnzen.

EIU is 7-16 overall. The Lady Panthers lost to Southeast 83-70 earlier this season at the Show Me Center. The Otahkians scored the final 13 points of that game to pull away.

"They played us very tough at our place earlier and we'll have to play well to beat them at their place," Arnzen said. "I think they're one of the teams in our league that has improved the most since the beginning of the season."