Otahkian Hoops Squad Drops Lipscomb 72-58 to Improve to 4-1 :: Southeast off to best start since 1990-91 season.

Nov. 27, 2001

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team inacted a little bit of revenge from last season's last second, upset lost to Lipscomb, by pinning a 72-58 loss on the Lady Bisons in the first game ever in their brand new Allen Arena on Tuesday night.

After Lipscomb (2-4) started the game with a basket off the opening tip the Otahkians (4-1) struggled to score in the game's first two minutes. Sophomore center Tisa Thomas finally put Southeast on the board with a free-throw at the 17:51 mark of the first half. Lipscomb widened the lead to 7-1 before Southeast would make a run. A few minutes later the Otahks would use a 11-2 run to put their game in their advantage at 18-11.

Lipscomb would close the lead behind the strong play of Kari Campbell whose old fashioned three-point play with 29 seconds remaining before halftime closed the Southeast lead to 29-22 at the break. Southeast managed the seven-point lead despite having junior forward Lori Chase on the bench after picking up two fouls in the games first two minutes. Chase managed only two points in the games opening half.

Southeast started the second half strong, opening up a 10-point lead only two minutes into the half. Chase made up for a lack of playing time in the first half by hitting two three-pointers and a two-pointer before the first media timeout to spark the Otahks. Chase now has five three-pointers on the season, one more than she had the entire 2000-01 year.

The Lady Bisons used a 9-3 run to bring them within four points with just over six minutes to play in the game. That would be as close as Lipscomb would be the rest of the night as Southeast used a 18-8 run to close the game and extend their winning streak to four games.

Veronica Benson led all scorers with 22 points, a career-high for the senior. Chase, despite only getting two points in the opening frame, added 18 in the second half to finish the game with 20.

The 4-1 start for Southeast is the best since the 1990-91 season when the Otahkians started 6-0. That was the same season when Coach Ed Arnzen led Southeast to the Division II National Championship game.