March Madness is officially underway in women’s college basketball, as Tennessee Tech became the first school in the nation to punch its ticket to the big dance.
The Golden Eagles (22–9) clinched a 2023 NCAA tournament berth on Saturday after defeating Little Rock, 54–46, to win the Ohio Valley Conference championship. The victory secured the school’s first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2000 and its 11th berth all-time.
Behind a smothering defensive effort, No. 3 seed TTU dominated top-seeded Little Rock—which won both the teams’ regular-season matchups—for much of the contest en route to earning a 10th conference title. The Golden Eagles held the Trojans to just 34% shooting from the field, including 0-of-6 from beyond the arc, and led by as many as 12 points in the second half after taking a 21–15 lead into halftime.
