OTAHKIANS VETO LADY GOVS 77-66

After Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team was picked to finish at the very bottom of the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference, coach Ed Arnzen insisted that the Otahkians were not a last-place team.

There is still most of the season to go, but Saturday night the Otahkians sure didn't play like a squad tabbed for last by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

Despite getting off to an extremely slow start, the Otahkians posted a big 77-66 victory over Austin Peay at the Show Me Center.

By winning the OVC opener for both teams, the Otahkians improved to 2-5 overall and dropped the Lady Governors -- who are picked to finish third in the league -- to 3-2.

"I've said all along I didn't think we were a last-place team," said Arnzen. "We're not blessed with a huge amount of talent, but if we play together and play hard, good things will happen.

"To start the OVC like this is huge. Austin Peay is one of the best teams in the conference. This is more than just a win. It gives credibility to ourselves."

Point guard Moneik Campbell had a big game for the Otahkians with 16 points, 14 coming in the second half.

"We played as a team," said Campbell. "When coach told us (last month) we were picked last, I told coach let us be last and let's prove them wrong."

Also scoring in double figures for the Otahkians were Dana Hawkins (12 points), Jamie Koester (11), Jaime Neff (11) and Tajuana White (10). Rusty Sowers contributed nine points.

Koester grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while Neff dished out four assists to lead in that category.

"This was a well-deserved win," said Hawkins. "We've been playing hard but we just kept coming up short. Tonight we didn't."

Austin Peay was led by 6-foot-2 standout Amanda Behrenbrinker with 23 points and freshman Katie Davis with 22. Angelica Suffren added 12.

The Otahkians fell behind 15-2 after nearly seven minutes of play and it looked like the potent Lady Govs were primed for a blowout victory.

But Southeast regrouped and trailed just 37-31 at halftime. The Otahkians kept things close for most of the second half and then used a late 12-0 run to pull away.

"We kept our composure. We didn't get down," said Hawkins of the Otahkians' slow start.

Said Arnzen, "After the first few minutes we had to prove to ourselves we could play with them. Once we did that it was a ballgame.

"We really kept our composure. I'm really happy about that. Earlier in the year we would not have."

Austin Peay opened up a 39-31 lead to start the second half, but a driving shot by Hawkins pulled the Otahkians to within 39-38 and things stayed extremely tight most of the rest of the way.

Southeast grabbed a 61-56 lead with just over four minutes left on Campbell's basket and free throw.

The Lady Govs quickly tied things on a basket by Behrenbrinker and a 3-pointer by Davis.

But that's when the Otahkians hit the Lady Govs with their huge 12-0 run to take control.

Campbell had perhaps the biggest shot of the game when she hit a 3-pointer with a little less than three minutes to play, giving Southeast the lead for good at 64-61.

"Moneik's shot was the biggest of the game," Arnzen said.

Hawkins and Campbell each made one of two free throws to put the Otahkians ahead 66-61, then Campbell's steal and layup made it 68-61 at the 1:17 mark.

Hawkins hit two free throws 10 seconds later to make it 70-61. A free throw by Neff and two foul shots by Campbell with 37 seconds left put Southeast up 73-61 and the Otahkians were able to cruise home from there.

The Otahkians shot 53 percent from the field (26 of 49), including 50 percent on 3-pointer (six of 12).

Southeast will have another OVC game Monday when Tennessee State comes to the Show Me Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.