Otahkian Basketball Team Claims Third Place at Lady Bronc Classic :: Senior guard Veronica Benson tied her career high with 21 points in the 72-55 victory over UTPA.

Senior guard Veronica Benson tied her career high with 21 points in the 72-55 victory over UTPA.

Nov. 17, 2001

EDINBURG, Texas - The Southeast Missouri State Otahkians used several big runs in the first half to open a lead over host Texas-Pan Am and coasted in the second half for a 72-55 win and third place finish at the Lady Bronc Classic.

Texas-Pan American (0-2) opened the game quickly, scoring the first four points on baskets by junior center Julie Porter. But unlike the Montana game on Friday night, Southeast (1-1) did not allow the game to get out of hand early on. Veronica Benson drained a three-pointer from the left-side to put Southeast on the board. After UTPA built a 99-6 lead with 16 minutes to play, Southeast used a 12-0 run to take an 18-9 lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half.

Later in the first frame, the Otahks used a 9-0 run to extend their lead to fifteen points at 29-14. The Lady Broncs would close the margin to 10 points at put a late 4-0 spurt to close the half capped by a Benson steal and layup to lead 38-22 at the break, the largest margin of the first half.

In the first half the backcourt duo of Benson and LaShelle Porter combined for 22 points and seven steals to pace the Otahkians.

The second frame saw Southeast extend its margin to as many as 27 when a Christine Rathke layup pushed the Otahk lead to 70-43. UTPA would however run off a 12-2 lead to close the game and make the final margin 72-55.

Senior center Pam Iversen recorded two blocks on the night to push her career total to 71 and pass her sister Allison for fourth place on the Southeast career block list. Allison played at Southeast from 1998-2000.

Benson tied her career-high of 21 that she set in the final game of last season.

Porter tied a career-high with five steals in the game.

Southeast shot 52.3% from the field and 50% from behind the arc. In two games, Southeast is above 50% from three-point range for the season.

The Otahkians also managed to win despite turning the ball over 27 times, four more than the Lady Broncs.

For her performance in the Lady Bronc Classic, junior Lori Chase was one of six total players named to the All-Tournament team. Chase averaged 22.5 points and 5.5 boards in the two contests.

Southeast will open the home portion of its 2001-02 schedule with Oakland City on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Show Me Center.