March 6, 2013

Are stars aligned? Golden Eagles ready for OVC Tournament

The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team heads to Nashville for teh 2013 Ohio Valley Conference tournament, playing Friday in the semifinals after sharing the regular season title for the 18th time.

OVC Championship Central
Women's Tournament Bracket (pdf)
Ticket Information
Parking
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2013 Tournament Fan Guide

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- After winning a share of its 18th regular season Ohio Valley Conference championship, the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team is preparing for it's 31st appearance in the OVC Tournament, and with a double-bye will be playing in the semifinals for the third straight season and the 27th time in the tourney's 32-year history.

The Golden Eagles will face the winner of #3 Belmont and #6 SIUE or #7 Tennessee State on Friday at 2 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. The Golden Eagles have accumulated a 6-4 record against the Tournament field this year, defeating Belmont and Tennessee State twice, Eastern Kentucky and SIUE once, with loses against #8 Murray State, #4 UT Martin, EKU and #1 Eastern Illinois.

Going into Tech's regular season finale, the team was focused on one thing: winning the East Division and clinching the second seed in the OVC Tournament. Well into the following men's game, the Golden Eagles found themselves collecting a share of the 2012-13 OVC regular season championship and much more momentum heading into the tournament. Jim Davis became the second coach in Tech's storied 43-year history to win a regular season conference championship in his first season at the helm. He shares the company of Tech Hall of Fame Coach Bill Worrell.

The 2012-13 women's basketball team opened conference action with a 4-0 record, the first squad to do so since the 2001-02 season. The Purple and Gold faced a tough West Division leader on the road and slipped into a rough patch, falling to Eastern Illinois, UT Martin and Murray State over the course of one week.

In the face of adversity, the Golden Eagles bounced back with two key victories at Belmont and Tennessee State, remaining undefeated in the East, and possibly the turning point in the season. The Golden Eagles have won five of their past six games by a margin of 18.8 points.

With an 18-11 (12-4 OVC) overall record, the Golden Eagles have a chance at a 20-win season if they can sweep to two wins in the tournament.

The Purple and Gold hold an amazing 44-21 all-time record at the OVC Tournament, and the senior class has played for the tournament title the past two seasons, with a 4-2 record. The last time the Golden Eagles received a double-bye was in 2010-11 and Tech went on to defeat Austin Peay before falling to UT Martin in the championship.

Come OVC Tournament time, the Golden Eagles have appeared in 31 out of 32 tournaments since the conference's first tournament in 1982. Tech will play in its 27th semifinal game, and have won nine tournament championships.

The women's semifinal will be aired on ESPN3 and in the mid-state region on WCTE TV, or can be heard on 106.1 Golden Eagles Sports Network.

Golden Eagle fans can also follow along on Twitter: @TTUGoldenEagles as well as on Facebook: at TTUSports

For single session tickets and special Tennessee Tech all-session passes are still on sale at the Tennessee Tech ticket office. For the best seats in the house next to Tech fans, the Athletics Department reccomends buying from Tech to insure seating near the team. For more information visit the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or call (931) 372-3940.