Box Score

Norman, Okla. (December 28, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Otahkian basketball team struggled early on, but hung on and showed promise late as they fell to the No. 19 ranked Oklahoma Sooners today in Norman, 87-59. Southeast moves its overall record to 6-4 as the Sooners go to 9-3.

It was bit of a homecoming for many players and coaches as freshman guard Tiffanne Ryan got the start in her hometown and other Otahks were back in familiar territory as they played their junior college basketball in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma started things off with six-straight points, before a long-range bomb from junior guard Kenja White cut the lead in half. Southeast tied the game at ten at the 16 minute mark of the first half, but the Sooners took the lead and didn't look back. Oklahoma went on a 39-15 run to end the half, up 49-25.

At the half, White led the Otahks with nine points on 3-8 shooting from the field. Senior forward Lori Chase had eight points and three rebounds. Junior guard Maria Villarroel had 11 points to lead the Sooners at the half. Villarroel played two seasons for coach B.J. Smith at Northeastern Oklahoma. Sophomore guard Dionnah Jackson and senior forward Teresa Schuknecht each had 10 points with Jackson having a game-high five rebounds.

Southeast started out the second half with more confidence and soon cut the lead to 21 points on two occasions. They, however, got no closer as Oklahoma continued its hot shooting. The Sooner lead got to as high as 30.

White led the team all night. She pulled in 21 points and four rebounds on 7-15 from the field and 3-7 from behind the arc. White was a perfect 4-4 from the line. Chase fouled out midway through the second half, but left with 14 points and five rebounds on 5-8 from the field and 3-6 from the free-throw line.

Sophomore forward Miah Shelford, in her first significant playing time this season, had seven points and six rebounds. Ryan had two points and two steals as well as four assists in her second start of the season.

Southeast now takes a week off of games and will practice hard before they open up conference play at home a week from today against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois. Tip off is slated for 5:30 p.m. at the Show Me Center.