By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MUNCIE, Ind. – The exhibitions are in the books, now it's time to get to business. The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will hit the road to open up the campaign on Monday morning and they won't have to wait long to get the 2023-24 season underway.
It'll be an early matinee as the Golden Eagles take on Ball State at 11 a.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Central for the Cardinals' Field Trip Day. With area school children filling up BSU's Worthen Arena, it'll be a loud, exciting atmosphere to open up the campaign.
Roger Ealey will have the call live on 106.1 The Eagle, while the game can also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
The Golden Eagles are certainly no stranger to loud crowds, whether it's the youngsters from their own Education Day contests to ranges of all ages in last year's NCAA Tournament contest against Indiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams earned rankings in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 as the Golden Eagles are tabbed No. 22, Ball State No. 11.
Tech earned a 68-63 victory over the Cardinals last season in the Eblen Center as the Golden Eagles used a 22-for-25 effort from the free-throw line to take the win, despite BSU outscoring Tech 16-9 in the fourth quarter. Jordan Brock and Reagan Hurst each had 16 points in the contest to pace the home squad, with Brock drawing 12 fouls in the game.
Ball State had four players in double-digit scoring, led by Anna Clephane with 12 points, Sydney Shafer and Alex Richard with 11, while Annie Rauch scored 10 points. Marie Kiefer had 10 rebounds. Shafer, Richard and Rauch all return for the 2023-24 campaign.
BSU head coach Brady Sallee is also a familiar face against the Golden Eagles as the former Eastern Illinois helmer has an 11-9 record against Tech – 10-8 with the Panthers and 1-1 with the Cardinals.
Ally Becki earned Preseason All-MAC first-team honors, while Bowling Green transfer Nyla Hampton was selected to the second-team roster. The Cardinals were picked second in the preseason poll. Becki had five double-doubles and scored in double-figures 20 times last season, including a high of 23 against Buffalo. She ranked sixth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.74) and 18th in assists (181) in 2022-23.
Third-seeded BSU beat Akron 92-68 to open the MAC Tournament, but fell 70-61 to Bowling Green. The Cardinals defeated Belmont 101-86 in the opening round of the WNIT before dropping a 79-62 decision to Memphis to end their season.
Tech, meanwhile, fresh off its first OVC Tournament championship since 1999-2000 and first NCAA Tournament win since 1990, returns nine players from last season's squad and bring in three exciting newcomers with Vanderbilt transfer Yaubryon Chambers, Division III national champion Maddie Kellione from Transylvania and true freshman Megan Aulbert, who led her Lutheran High squad to a Missouri state title to wrap up her prep career.
The Golden Eagles were the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, earning Preseason Player of the Year accolades for graduate guard Maaliya Owens and a Preseason All-OVC nod for senior forward Anna Walker. Owens surpassed 1,000 career points in the OVC title game against Little Rock, then hit her single-season-setting 92nd 3-pointer of the season in the NCAA Tournament against Indiana.
The opener against Ball State is just the first phase of a challenging preseason schedule, which will see the Golden Eagles play Chattanooga, Missouri, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Northern Kentucky before OVC play begins on Dec. 28.
Tech will open up its home slate on Nov. 15 for "Celebration of Champions Night" as the Golden Eagles will unveil their 2022-23 OVC championship banner against Chattanooga with a 6 p.m. tipoff that night.
Season tickets for Golden Eagle women's basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or go online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Jim Dillon
