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Cape Girardeau, Mo. (January 28, 2003) - The Southeast Missouri State Otahkian basketball team will head north to Charleston, Illinois this Thursday as they take on the Panthers of Eastern Illinois in Lantz Arena at 5:15 p.m.

Southeast Missouri is 10-6 overall and 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. They are coming off an a tough loss at Conference-leader Austin Peay last Saturday, 58-45. The 45 points were the lowest point total for the Otahks since an 81-44 loss at Eastern Kentucky, February 9, 1997. They have wins over Murray State, Tennessee-Martin, Morehead State, Eastern Illinois, Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb, Samford and Oakland City, but have lost to SMS, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Indiana State, Oklahoma, Eastern Kentucky, and Austin Peay.

Southeast is being led by junior guard Kenja White's 14.3 points per game. White is third on the team in three-point percentage with a 31 percent average. Senior forward Lori Chase is second in scoring with a 13.0 mark and is first on the team in rebounding and second in three point shooting with 5.6 rebounds per game and 35 percent from behind the arc. Junior forward Carina Souza is third in scoring with a 11.3 per game average, as she, White, and Chase are the only Otahks to start every single game this season.

Junior guard Yashika Sidbury is fourth in scoring with 10.8 points per game and continues to lead the team in free-throw shooting averaging 91 percent from the line. She ranks among the league leaders in that category, as well. She leads Southeast in three-point shooting with a 36 percent mark from behind the arc.

The Panthers are 3-14 this season. They have wins over Navy, Tennessee-Martin, and Murray State, and have losses against Sam Houston, Central Florida, IUPUI, Loyolla, SIU, Wisconsin, Louisville, Indiana State, Chicago State, SEMO, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, IPFW, and Austin Peay.

EIU is being led on the season by Lauren Dailey. The junior guard from Terre Haute, Indiana is scoring 12.8 points on the season and averages 3.2 rebounds per game. She has started in all 17 games the Panthers have played, and is averaging a team-leading 29.6 minutes per game.

Senior center Brooke Gossett is averaging 10.2 points per contest while grabbing 5.4 boards per contest. She has also started all 17 games this season as she and Dailey are the only two Panthers to have that distinction.

As a team, the Panthers are averaging 60.2 points per game, while giving up 72.2 points per contest. They are shooting 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from behind the arc. They average 74 percent from the free-throw line.

After this game the Otahks will come home to play host to Tennessee Tech at 5:30 on Saturday and Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Monday.