Otahkians ready to get on a roll

The Southeast Missouri State University Otahkians have a one-game winning streak going -- but that pales in comparison to their ultimate goal.

"After we beat Samford, we talked about winning 11 games in a row," senior guard Kenja White said. "I don't see why we can't do it."

The Otahkians have eight regular-season games remaining, then it takes three wins to capture the Ohio Valley Conference tournament that secures an NCAA berth.

"Definitely, I think we can do it," senior point guard Sarah Costello said.

But Southeast coach B.J. Smith, while not doubting that his players can pull it off, doesn't want them getting too far ahead of themselves. He'd rather have the Otahkians (9-10, 4-4) take each game as it comes, beginning with today's 5 p.m. tipoff against Tennessee-Martin (7-11, 4-4) at the Show Me Center.

"We're really trying to focus on just winning the game in front of us," Smith said. "I think we have had a problem this year with getting too far ahead of ourselves."

Smith acknowledged that the Otahkians -- the OVC preseason favorite after finishing second last year -- have not lived up to expectations so far. But he knows the opportunity is still there for them to right the ship.

While catching Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, who are both 7-1, won't be easy, the Otahkians are just one game behind Tennessee Tech and Morehead State, who share third place at 5-3. The top four finishers earn home games for the first round of the OVC tournament.

"Getting that home game is important," Smith said. "I still believe we can accomplish what we want this season."

Southeast's schedule during the last half of the conference season certainly appears favorable. Five of the Otahkians' eight games so far have been against upper-division teams, with two against both Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech, and one against Jacksonville State. Southeast is 1-4 in those contests.

The Otahkians, who play five of their final eight games at home -- including the next three -- figure to be favored in every remaining contest. But Smith knows that will mean little unless they play well.

"We really have to take care of ourselves, how we're playing, more than what the other team is doing," Smith said.

He believes the Otahkians took a step in the right direction against Samford as they turned in their best defensive performance of the season during Saturday's 71-43 romp.

"Winning tends to make everything a little bit better," Smith said. "Obviously we feel a lot better after a win than a loss, but defensively we really had a good game. Now we have to keep doing that. We have to establish some consistency."

UTM and Southeast are part of a four-way tie for fifth place. The Skyhawks, who handed Jacksonville State its lone league defeat, are led by 6-foot-1 junior forward Julie Young (13.2 ppg) and 5-9 senior guard Tiffany Brundige (46.9 percent 3-point shooting).

"They're a team that won't beat themselves," Smith said. "They won't be an easy team to beat."

White (11.4 ppg) leads three Otahkians who are scoring in double figures, including junior guard Sami Jo Cotton (10.5 ppg) and junior center Chandra Brown (10.1 ppg).