OTAHKS RIDE 'D' TO FRONT OF OVC

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen acknowledges that the Otahkians have significantly upgraded their talent base this season and also considerably improved their team chemistry.

But, said Arnzen, if he had to pinpoint one area for his team's dramatic turnaround this season, it would be defense.

And a look at the Ohio Valley Conference statistics proves Arnzen correct -- in addition to providing a big reason why the Otahkians are in first place in the OVC with a 7-2 record.

"Defense has been our best thing this year," said Arnzen, whose squad is 12-4 overall after winning just 13 games over the past two seasons combined. "I credit Alan Eads, one of my assistant coaches.

"I put coach Eads in charge of our defense this year and he has really done a good job with our man-to-man defense. He's really made it a lot better."

And, pointed out Arnzen, the Otahkians have bought into the idea of defense being the key.

"We tried to sell them on that early," he said. "We told them if they play defense, they'd be in every game. They might not win every game, but they'd have a chance.

"You're not always going to shoot the ball well or play well overall offensively. But you can always play defense. I definitely think that's been the key for us so far."

The Otahkians lead the OVC in all three major defensive statistical categories: scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense.

Southeast is allowing an average of just 64.1 points per game and opponents are shooting only 38.1 percent from the field and just 26.8 percent from 3-point range against the Otahkians.

"We're making it tough on the opposing team to score and that's what you always want to do," Arnzen said. "If we can continue to play defense like we have been, then I definitely think we have a shot (to win the OVC)."

While thriving defensively, the Otahkians have also been more than adequate offensively, particularly from long range and from the free-throw line.

Southeast leads the league in 3-point shooting at 37.7 percent, in 3-point field goals made per game with 6.4 and in free-throw shooting at 75.1 percent.

Individually, four Otahkians rank high in at least two of the OVC's major statistical categories.

Junior guard/forward Paula Corder is eighth in scoring (15.2 ppg), second in free-throw percentage (.922) and second in 3-point percentage (.479).

Freshmen center Pam Iversen is 15th in scoring (11.5 ppg), first in free-throw percentage (.923), second in blocked shots (17), fourth in field-goal percentage (.548) and fifth in rebounding (7.2 rpg).

Senior guard Rusty Sowers is 12th in scoring (12.5 ppg) and third in 3-point percentage (.393).

Senior forward Tajuana White is sixth in field-goal percentage (.535) and ninth in rebounding (5.9 rpg).

Also, junior center Allison Iversen -- Pam's older sister -- leads the conference in blocked shots with 25.