Feb. 25, 2002

OVC Tournament First Round Game Notes in PDF Format
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Southeast Missouri State Otahkians (16-11, 8-8)
vs. Austin Peay Lady Govs (16-11, 9-7)
OVC Tournament First Round
Game 28 * February 26, 2002 * 5:30 p.m. CT
Dave Aaron Arena - Dunn Center (9,000) * Clarksville, Tenn.

About Southeast: Tuesday's nights fans and participants might have a feeling of deja vu. Three days after battling in the regular season finale, the Southeast Missouri State Otahkians return to Clarksville to open up OVC Tournament play against the Austin Peay Lady Govs.

Thanks to a 80-68 Otahkian victory and a Morehead State win over Murray on Saturday, # 5 seed Southeast avoided a seven-hour bus ride to Morehead, Ky. and open up against the Lady Govs, the #4 seed in the tournament.

On Saturday night, Southeast took a big second-half lead, much as it did when the two teams met in January, but this time held on and closed out APSU. The Lady Govs were without power forward Shatika Hutcherson, who was lost for the season with an Achillies tendon injury, and Southeast dominanted inside. The post-trio of Lori Chase, Pam Iversen and Tisa Thomas combined for 46 points for Southeast while APSU was left shooting long jumpers, which they managed only 5-23 (21.7%) from three-point range.

The two team's have battled close this season and enter the post season with identical overall records and near identical statistics. Austin Peay is led by Brooke Armistead who ranks nationally in scoring average and who poured in 31 points against the Otahks on Saturday night.

Southeast has not had much history of success in the OVC Tournament, only getting out of the first round one time, when they defeated Murray State in 1998-99 and fell to Tennessee Tech in the semifinals. Last season, the Otahkians led Tennessee-Martin most of the game, but a late Skyhawks comeback snapped a trip to Nashville for SEMO.

This year's OVC Final Four will be held in Louisville, Ky., the home of the first 11 OVC Men's Tournaments.

Fans in Cape Girardeau can listen to the game on KAPE 1550-AM with Jeff Brighwell doing the play-by-play. Fans outside the area can access the Austin Peay broadcast via their athletic website www.apsu.edu/letsgopeay or their radio station's website WJZM.com.