By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – After a nearly 50-year history of women's basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee Tech's tenure in the league has come to a close.
The Golden Eagles found themselves on the short end of an 83-61 defeat at the hands of Southeast Missouri, dropping Tech to 15-14 on the year – giving the Golden Eagles their eighth-straight winning season – and 8-12 in the league.
The 8-12 record put Tech in a three-way tie with SEMO and SIUE – after the Cougars defeated Eastern Illinois. Tech was the third team in the tiebreaker as SIUE went 3-1 against the other teams, SEMO 2-2 and the Golden Eagles 1-3.
It's a tough finish, but it's a footnote in one of the greatest legacies in the conference's history and one that will be tough for many teams to follow.
Tech finishes Ohio Valley Conference play with 19 regular-season championships, 11 OVC tournament titles and 12 appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Golden Eagles finish with a 521-247 record – a .678 winning percentage – in OVC play and a 54-29 record in the OVC basketball tournament.
The Golden Eagles tout three of the top six winningest coaches in OVC history – Bill Worrell (408-190 – 2nd), Marynell Meadors (181-100 from when the OVC started sponsoring the sport in 1977 – 5th) and Kim Rosamond (172-132 – 6th).
Tech collected 12 OVC Players of the Year – Pam Chambers, Jerilynn Harper (twice), Cheryl Taylor (twice), Angela Moorehead (twice), Roschelle Vaughn, Janet Holt (three times) and Emily Christian. The program also had nine OVC Female Athletes of the Year – Harper twice, Taylor, Moorehead, Vaughn, Diane Seng twice and Holt twice. Tech won seven OVC Coach of the Year honors for Meadors, Worrell four times, Sytia Messer and Rosamond.
The Golden Eagles have 120 All-OVC selections – with more to potentially be named this week -- as well as 57 All-Tournament picks and 10 Tournament MVPs.
No school in the OVC – past or present – even stands close.
As one chapter ends, another one is soon to begin as the Golden Eagles look to challenge the Southern Conference membership.
It's tough to believe that it's all coming to an end, but Saturday's outing was a bitter farewell.
The Golden Eagles managed to close out the contest with a 31.3 shooting percentage, a feat after shooting 16.7 percent in the opening quarter and 20 percent in the third quarter.
The Redhawks soared out in the first quarter to a 19-8 lead and extended the advantage in the second to 43-22 at the intermission, then 63-35 at the end of the third quarter as the hosts led by as many as 30 points. Tech outscored SEMO 26-20 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to get back within reach.
Reghan Grimes, in her first game back after missing the last three from injury, led Tech with 13 points. Grimes also had six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. LaReesha Cawthorn collected her ninth career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while also adding a steal and a block. Chloe Larry had 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and one steal.
The game ended the careers of Grimes, Reagan Hurst (seven points, one steal) and Cam Mathews (five points, two rebounds, an assist and one steal).
Grimes finished her career 20th in scoring (1,347 points), 13th in rebounds (690) and 14th in steals (157) in Tennessee Tech program history.
SEMO (12-17, 8-12 OVC) was led by Carmen Taylor, who had 22 points, an assist and two steals. Kearra Jones had 16 points, Raissa Nsabua 12 and Lexi McCully 10.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
