Cheryl Taylor made a huge impact on the Golden Eagle women’s basketball program from her fist game as a freshman. She was one of the most outstanding players in the OVC and one of the best in the nation through four award-winning years, and helped lift Tech into the Top 25 and gain three post-season appearances. Taylor was the leading ingredient in Tech reaching two NCAA tournaments and one WNIT.

As a freshman, the Vauxhall, N.J. native exploded onto the scene by earning MVP honors at the Tennessee Tech Classic, breaking the Eblen Center record with 24 rebounds in her first collegiate game. She was named Freshman All-America, OVC Rookie of the Year, and earned the first of four all-OVC first-team awards while setting the Tech freshman record for scoring (454 points) and rebounds (339)

Her sophomore year netted Cheryl All-America recognition from Fast Break Magazine, and she was selected to play in the National Sports Festival. She earned another first-team all-OVC award, and set the NCAA tournament record for rebounds in a game when she snared 23 caroms at Georgia.

She was named to two All-America teams as a junior when she averaged 23.3 points and 13.3 rebounds, and was called “Best Center in America” by Fast Break Magazine. The national Player of the Week one time and the OVC Player of the Week five times, she went on to be named OVC Female Athlete of the Year, OVC Player of the Year, and Kodak All-Region.

In her final campaign, Cheryl broke the OVC all-time scoring record (held then by Jerilynn Harper, also in the Tech Hall of Fame), and earned her second OVC Player of the Year award. Her 2,526 points was the career standard in the OVC, and she piled up a career-record 90 double-double performances. She ranked fifth in the nation with 25.6 points per game, and was 13^th in rebounding. She set the school mark for most points in an NCAA game when she poured 34 points in Tech’s loss at the University of Tennessee.

All-told, Taylor led Tech to an 83-37 win-loss record, and at the time of her induction was just one of 15 players in NCAA history with 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds. Her jersey (number 33) was retired and hangs above the playing floor in Eblen Center.

She went on to play professionally in Europe for two years, but returned to earn her degree in business administration in 1988.