By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
BOSTON, Mass. – The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will begin the 2023-24 season in a Top 25 ranking as the Golden Eagles placed 23rd in the first CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll of the campaign.
The Golden Eagles aren't alone in the poll, however, as two of their non-conference foes -- Middle Tennessee (9) and Ball State (11) – are among the Top 25, with Chattanooga and OVC regular-season champ Little Rock listed among the programs who received votes.
Tech will test its No. 23-ranking immediately as the Golden Eagles head up to Muncie, Ind., to take on the No. 11-ranked Ball State Cardinals on Monday morning. The game is an 11 a.m. Eastern start for Field Trip Day as the Cardinals bring in area school children to attend.
The schedule only gets tougher from there with Chattanooga, Southeastern Conference foe Missouri and Stetson among the team's first five games of the year, before traveling to SEC opponent Kentucky, then hosting long-time rival Middle Tennessee in December.
It is the second straight season the Golden Eagles open the season with a Women's Mid-Major Top 25 ranking.
Tech is coming off of an eventful 2022-23 slate that saw the Golden Eagles win their 1,000th program victory and improve to 1,016 wins overall. Head coach Kim Rosamond also surpassed the century mark in wins and now has 115 in her career in Cookeville.
Tech won the OVC tournament over Little Rock for its first conference postseason title since the 1999-2000 campaign to earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance since that same year. The Golden Eagles also won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1990 as Tech defeated Monmouth in the First Four before taking on top-seeded Indiana.
The Golden Eagles return nine players from the OVC-championship squad, including OVC Preseason Player of the Year Maaliya Owens. The graduate broke the Tech single-season 3-pointers made with 92, surpassing Blair Bowens and Allison Clark's previous record of 86.
Tech will unveil its 2022-23 OVC championship banner on November 15 as the Golden Eagles host Chattanooga in the Eblen Center for Celebration of Champions Night. Tipoff for that game is at 6 p.m. with several discounted ticket options. Read more about that game at TTUsports.com.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech women's basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com to order.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
