Watch: ESPN+
Fresh off winning the program’s sixth Ohio Valley Conference regular season title, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team will begin its push for a postseason berth in the quarterfinals of the OVC Basketball Championship. The Skyhawks will open the tournament with a matchup against No. 8 seeded Murray State on Wednesday, March 4. Tipoff from the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (20-9) posted the program’s sixth OVC regular season title after going 16-2 in league play to claim the No. 1 seed in the tournament field. Overall, UT Martin has won league titles in 1998-99, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2019-20. Additionally, this marks the 10th 20-win season for the Skyhawks and seventh under head coach Kevin McMillan.
UT Martin is 17-7 in the McMillan era at the OVC Basketball Championship. The Skyhawks won four consecutive OVC Basketball Championship titles from 2011-14 before falling in varying rounds the past five seasons. As a whole, UT Martin has advanced all the way to the title game seven times in the last nine years.
As the postseason honors were handed out, UT Martin boasted OVC Player of the Year and All-OVC first team selection Chelsey Perry while fellow forward Maddie Waldrop garnered All-OVC first team honors of her own. The tandem combined to score over 54 percent of the team’s offensive output in OVC play. Perry leads the country with 686 points scored and ranks second in points per game (23.7) while tallying 19 games with 20 points or more – including nine 30-point outings. Waldrop (12.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg) ranks in the top-10 in several statistical categories while posting seven double-doubles.
Murray State (14-15) claimed the No. 8 seed after posting a 7-11 record in league play. Hampered by injuries, the Racers enter the field having won three of their last eight contests. The Racers boast three players who garnered postseason honors led by Macey Turley (All-OVC first team), Alexis Burpo (All-OVC second team) and Laci Hawthorne (All-Newcomer team).
Wednesday’s contest marks the 91st meeting between the two programs with UT Martin holding a 55-35 series advantage. The Skyhawks have won 21 of the last 23 meetings against the Racers, including a pair of victories in the two matchups this season by an average score of 33.5 points.
The contest will be streamed online on ESPN+ with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Helen Williams (analyst) bringing the action. Fans can also tune into WCMT 100.5 FM or 1410 AM to hear Tom Britt (play-by-play) and Chris Brinkley (analyst) bring the action on the radio waves. Links for video, audio and live stats are located at the top of the webpage.