By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's always emotional when a season starts to wind down to the final days. Senior Day is a bittersweet moment as you reflect on the success, the adversity and the accomplishments over the past several years.
For this Tech senior class in 2023-24, there's still a lot to do with the Ohio Valley Conference tournament just a couple of weeks away and plenty to prepare for before that event. Since putting on the Purple and Gold, this Senior class has known nothing but winning. This group has experienced five consecutive winning seasons and are currently in the hunt for their sixth-straight winning season. They captured the program's first OVC tournament championship in 23 years, and first NCAA tournament win in 30 years.
What a ride it has been for this team – winning 90 games entering this weekend, putting themselves in position for its sixth-straight season with double-digit victories in the conference. They're not finished yet. Far from it.
Peyton Carter, in her fourth season with the Golden Eagles, has been a key player for the Tech program, continually stepping up her game and showing grit and heart on the court. Carter has been the "glue" on the court as she is averaging 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds, as well as being the team's leader in assists with 86 and second on the team in steals (34) and rebounds (125).
Everyone needs a Peyton Carter on their team," Tech head coach Kim Rosamond said. "She takes on whatever role is asked of her for the team's success. PC is one of the toughest players we have had in our program, and her presence is always felt when she is on the floor. Her hustle and energy that she brings every day makes her the special player and person that she is. Peyton just makes everyone around her better because she truly doesn't care who gets the credit. She just wants others and her team to succeed and she doesn't mind doing the small things that make the big things. Peyton is not always the tallest or fastest but you won't find anyone with a bigger heart. It's why her teammates love playing with her and her coaches love coaching her."
Carter added, "When you're in the recruiting process, there's so many aspects that you're looking into. The most important one for me – and probably the same for everyone else on this team – is trying to find that family. Coach Rosamond and her staff, the other players – they've done a tremendous job of building the culture here.
"We really are a family. It's crazy to think that we've gone through all of these things together. It's just so easy to form a bond with the girls on this team. The friendships I've made has been the best part. This team is so special. Coach Rosamond always says the team that wins at the end of the year is the team that doesn't want it to end. Personally, I hope everyone's on board, because I don't want it to end."
Yaubryon Chambers is one of the newest additions to the Golden Eagle roster. After spending her first four collegiate seasons at Vanderbilt, the Murfreesboro native made the move to Cookeville for her graduate campaign.
This season, Chambers has scored 157 points in the Purple and Gold, collecting 72 rebounds, 17 assists, 33 steals and 26 blocks and has added both athleticism and energy to the defensive end. She currently ranks ninth in the OVC in blocks. She tied or set new career-highs in scoring, assists, steals, blocks, field goals made, field goals attempted, free-throws made and free-throws attempted this season.
Against SIUE on Thursday night, Chambers had a career-high four blocks with three steals to go along with her seven points. She had five games with double-digit scoring, including 19 points against Tennessee Wesleyan, 13 against Ball State and Chattanooga, 12 against Tennessee State and 10 against Little Rock. She had a season-best six rebounds against Southern Indiana and set a new single-game best in steals with five against Alabama A&M.
Her joy for the game and dynamic plays both on and off the ball made her a quick fan favorite in a short time.
"Being able to add a player and person such as Ya this past season helped continue to build and sustain the culture created in our program," Rosamond said. "She played in one of the top conferences in the league last season in the SEC, and has been a tremendous addition to our team this year. Her ability to score, rebound and her contagious energy has helped us stay in contention to remain at the top of the OVC standings.Not only does Ya bring talent to the basketball floor, but she also brings a light to the locker room each and every day. Her positive attitude and big smile gives great energy to our team. Ya has been an incredible addition to our team on and off the court. She is a young woman who is going to do big things with her life, and I am so grateful we got to be part of her final season."
Chambers said, "I can't believe it got here so fast," Chambers said. "It's been a great run for sure, but we're not done yet."
Even though her time with the team has been short, the family aspect is not lost on her, and was one of the biggest reasons she joined the team.
"It feels like I've known them for the longest time," Chambers said. "The moment I stepped on campus, I felt like I was part of the family. It was a great time being welcomed by everyone and I'm glad we've grown so much since then. I can't wait to get those wedding invites or baby shower invites in the future. I know that we are sisters for life."
Kiera Hill, in her first season with the Golden Eagles, was one of the heroines of the Golden Eagle postseason, collecting a double-double in the OVC championship victory over Little Rock. Now, in her second campaign, she's been an incredible force for the Tech squad.
As the 2023-24 season continues, her numbers have steadily improved, averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds a game, posting a strong shooting percentage and seeing upticks in assists, blocks and steals.
"Kiera Hill has been a bright light since she stepped on campus. Her infectious personality and team-first attitude have helped her be a spark for our team the past two seasons," Rosamond said. "She was deemed with the title "Chief Energy Officer" halfway through the season and is the ultimate teammate that you want on your team. I have so much respect for Kiera's work ethic and character. It has been so fun to watch her grow as a person and a player. She inspires us all with her sacrifice, commitment and joy she brings to others. Even on days where my energy may not be as high as it needs to be, Kiera is the one calling me up and helping me be a better version of myself. She truly has become an impactful leader for this team."
Hill added, "It feels like I just walked in here for the first time just the other day. It's amazing just how quickly time goes by. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for me."
Breaking away from one's family to go to college is difficult. It's not any easier after spending time with a new family with her teammates.
"I'm going to miss that," Hill said. "I'm ready to take on the next step in my life and figure out the independent life. It's still a good thing to have those bonds outside of basketball. We have the bond on the court, but we also have the bond outside because I know they'll be there when I need them."
For Maaliya Owens, it's her second go-round for a senior day, electing to come back for her fifth season. So much happened after her previous honorarium – an OVC championship, becoming the 35th 1,000-point scorer in program history, breaking the single-season 3-point record with 92 treys, then elected the OVC's Preseason Player of the Year.
It's been an incredible run for Owens, who currently ranks 17th all-time in career points with 1,437 and second in 3-pointers made with 277 – 29 away from the program record.
"One of the main standards for our program is 'Leave it Better Than You Found It,'" Rosamond said. "Maaliya Owens is leaving this program better than she found it. Throughout her five seasons in the purple and gold, she will depart as one of the most dynamic players in the OVC. She has etched her name in the record books and helped bring a championship back to Cookeville. Her loyalty and dedication to this program is evident in her choosing to come back and play an extra year. It's rare for players to stay a 5th year, and we are fortunate that Mo wanted to finish what she started at Tennessee Tech. Her growth over the last 2 years has been special to watch. Her leadership, maturity and will to win are instrumental to our success. She has embraced becoming a go-to player for us, and I have loved watching her grow into the confident game-changer she has become."
Owens said, "It's crazy that it's that time. It's been a long journey. I didn't know how long I was going to get to play – that's crazy in itself – but it's been great. I've loved all the people that I've met here and it's really made my college experience great."
As for what she's going to miss the most, Owens didn't even hesitate. "All the people here," she said. "It really is like a family. I'm going to be close to my teammates for the rest of my life. "
"These memories – you're never going to get to have these kinds of experiences again. You're not a kid, but you're not out in the real world yet. It's like living every single day with your best friends or your sisters, and you get to do life together. That's what I'm going to miss the most. It's made me a better person and I'd never have gotten that chance if I didn't come here and play."
Anna Walker spent her first season at Chattanooga, but, since coming to Cookeville, has made an incredible impact with the Golden Eagles. She has twice been named to the OVC All-Tournament team and was a preseason All-OVC pick entering this season.
Entering the week, Walker ranks 13th in program history in career blocks with 89 and has the potential to break into the program's top 10 by season's end. With 429 rebounds and 877 points in her career, she has been a fantastic addition to the Golden Eagles.
"Anna has been an anchor and a steady, consistent inside/outside force on our team the past three seasons," Rosamond said. "She shows up every day and brings her best to this team. She leads by example both on and off the floor. Anna Walker is a winner and a leader in every way. She competes to be the best version of herself in all she does, and she takes great pride in how she does anything in life. Anna wants to win and understands what it takes to win. She's willing to step out and push herself and those around her, and she refuses to settle. She doesn't back down when things get hard or your back is against the wall; instead, she digs in and brings others with her. I love the competitor that lives inside her."
Walker said, "This team has meant everything. Everyone knows I transferred in my sophomore year, but being able to come into a family environment like this, these girls are my sisters and have been for the last three years.
"It's really cool and obviously we spend a lot of time together and that chemistry just comes together naturally. It shows that we are here for each other day and night, no matter what happens."
There are just so many memories that flood back to Walker's mind and it's hard to pick one as the favorite.
"The championship is obvious," she said, "but there really are just so many. We have gone through some hard games and moments this year, but the same thing happened last year. We had a rough stretch in conference play, but we kept believing and fighting. We just grind it out and come in to work every single day and now we are playing our best basketball of the season. Last year, we ultimately got what we wanted, and we're excited to try to make a run for it this year."
Manager Ito Ogbomo may not have gotten the attention that her Golden Eagle teammates have received, but her role is equally important as she helps prepare the Tech players for practice and competition, performs the day-to-day duties behind the scene and cheers on her comrades in the heat of battle.
"Support staffs are the unsung heroes of a team's success," Rosamond said. "They perform all the behind-the-scenes duties that help make a program function at a high level. Ito Ogbomo has been a vaulable part of the "team behind the team" for the past three seasons. She has spent countless hours making sure our players are prepared for practice and game day. Unless you are behind the scenes, no one understands the work that goes into being a manager. The late nights, early mornings that these young people (like Ito) put in and the sacrifices they make to be part of the team is massive. Ito brings such a positive, caring attitude each day. She goes above and beyond for the players and coaches, and she's always just a blessing to be around on a daily basis."
"It's been a lot of fun," Ogbomo said. "All of the girls are like my sisters."
The Tech women's success comes from the hard work on the court, especially during practice. To achieve their goal, the Golden Eagles have a special group of practice players to help the Tech players work hard and keep improving.
This season, Tech has one senior practice player in Jaquan Nelson. A former manager with the Tech men's basketball team, Nelson has played a big part in helping the Golden Eagles succeed.
"I enjoyed meeting new people – the managers, the players and the coaches," he said. "It has been fun to compete and make the team better."
Of course, the Tennessee Tech seniors and super-seniors of 2024 know all too well about the legacy of the women's basketball program. Having the ability to come back to the Eblen Center and see the banner they raised in the rafters is an incredible feeling as they have cemented their own part of the program's legacy.
"For me, in high school, we were this close," Carter said, pinching her fingers together. "Every single year. We never could pull it out. Last year – wow, we did it. Looking back at pictures, I really wish we could relive the moment. I do think we have a really good chance to reliving that this year and get another banner hanging up there."
Walker: "We step into the gym every single day and see something that we accomplished. We know we're hungry for that same thing again."
Hill: "We did that in my first year here and it's definitely one of my favorite memories. I plan on getting another one this year so I can say we got two of them."
Owens: "That's going to be cool to come back whenever and see that. I'll know how much went into that and how much fun it was. I honestly feel like the fans and the community made that feel so special. We felt so loved. Sometimes you don't really know how many people are paying attention to you until something like that happens. Obviously, we're still going for another one, but being able to come in here and see that every day is really cool."
Ogbomo: "That is my favorite memory. Being with the team as we won the OVC, then going to the NCAA Tournament. Having that bond with them, that's going to last forever. When I'm older, it's something I can look back on and say, 'Wow, we did that.'"
While she wasn't a member of the 2023-24 championship team, Chambers is determined to get a banner up in the Eblen Center rafters as well.
"That's why I came here," she said with a smile. "I want to get that ring. I believe we're in a great position to have an opportunity to do that."
There's always wisdom from the seniors to pass down to their teammates as the season starts to wind down. From their learned experiences and shared moments, the lessons gleaned are universal.
Hill: "Just keep working and trust the process. No matter how hard it gets, it'll get better. Trust the process and things will work out as it should."
Ogbomo: "Don't be too hard on yourself. We've definitely had a pretty interesting season so far, so taking everything in stride and be able to work through your shortcomings helps you build more success."
Owens: "Enjoy the journey and its ups and downs. Sometimes you can get caught up in things when it's not going well. I think back to my first couple of years and I'd get so frustrated with basketball or how I was playing. You don't want to miss what's going on around you and miss those moments with your teammates. Even if you're not having the best time on the court, God has given us all this blessing to be able to do life with people and leave this place better than we found it, and leave Tech and Cookeville better than it found us. Just enjoy that – enjoy the ups and the downs. Be grateful that you have this opportunity."
The Tech women's seniors will be honored after Saturday's contest against Eastern Illinois. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Roger Ealey will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith will broadcast the game on ESPN+ (subscription required). The game will also be shown locally on WCTE.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now -- call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com
