Winning tradition, history recognized as women's basketball hosts Legends Weekend
A program that boasts a strong history and tradition, the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team will host its annual Legends Weekend this weekend, including a game Saturday pitting several former champions and all-stars against each other.
By Jocelyn VerVelde, Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A program that boasts a strong history
and tradition, the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team
will host its annual Legends Weekend this weekend, including a game
Saturday pitting several former champions and all-stars against
each other.
The Tennessee Tech women's basketball program is the ninth
winningest program in NCAA history. Following the 2012-13 season,
Tech boasts a 873-443 record in its 43 years of existence, joining
powerhouses such as Stanford, Texas, Tennessee and others in the
top 10 all-time programs.
A program only goes as far as its players, and this weekend Tech will honor many of its alumni during Legends Weekend. Eighteen former Golden Eagles will be back in action in an alumni game at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday as part of the Legends Weekend activities. Between the 18, the players combined for 12 regular season Ohio Valley Conference championships and represent all 10 of Tech's NCAA tournament teams. The alumni will be recognized during halftime of the 7 p.m. match-up with Tennessee Wesleyan in Eblen Center.
Returning to the coaching seat, former TTU head coach Bill Worrell will be called upon to coach one of the two alumni teams. The Hall of Fame coach directed a successful women’s team at Tennessee Tech for 20 years, ringing up a long list of conference championships and post-season appearances. His teams produced dozens of all-conference and all-America players, some of whom will be playing for him once again on Saturday.
Diane Seng Haynes, a member of the 2010 TTU Sports Hall of Fame Class, is one of the former players who will return to the court. She scored 2,166 points, finishing her career ranked third in school history. She currently ranks fifth at Tech in scoring. Seng was a two-time Kodak all-district selection, an Academic All-American, a two-time OVC Female Athlete of the Year and was named Tech's Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year all four years of her career. She was a first-team all-OVC selection all four years and was chosen the OVC Freshman of the Year in 1997.
Also returning to the Eblen Center will be Emily Christian Hughes. She currently sits in third place in Tech history for career-points scored at 2,314 points, and also added 812 rebounds during her career. She was also a four-time All-OVC selection. Both Haynes and Hughes have their jerseys retired.
Some of the other "legends" joining that pair of all-star post
players will be TTU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2006 member Shawn
Monday Smith, Allison Clark, Rachel Glidden, Kellie Cook, Kylie
Cook, Taunya Lovelace, Leah Frasier Dixson, Leslie VanWinkle, Leah
Bird Smith, Collin Carmichael Barr, Lashay Davis, Misty Garrett,
Holly Hardison Pring, Andrea Baldwin Neil, Meagan Lyons, Rachael
Gobble Moore, and Mindy Campbell Odom.
Tickets are available for the game against Tennessee Wesleyan by
visiting the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center, or by calling
(931) 372-3940. There is no admission charge to watch the alumni
game Saturday afternoon.
Schedule of Events:
Saturday, Nov. 9th
2 pm: Alumni Game
4 pm: Dinner in Eagles Nest (Eblen
Center)
7 pm: Game vs. Tenn. Wesleyan - Halftime
Recognition
Sunday, Nov. 10th
10 am: Alumni Brunch with current team (Golden
Corral)
