Through the end of the 2019-20 academic year, we will be posting a season recap for each UTM athletic program. This edition of the “Skyhawk Season in Review” series features the women’s basketball team.
Entering the season without a single senior on the roster, the Skyhawks knew that talent would not be an issue but that leadership would have to be developed. Even though the tradition-rich UTM program was picked towards the top of the league’s preseason standings once again, it was the way the team came together in the final two months of the season which propelled the squad to a championship level.
UTM faced a challenging schedule in 2019-20 which ranked as the 43rd toughest slate in the country according to the NCAA – well above the league average of 218. Overall the Skyhawks faced eight 20-win programs, including six teams who won either their respective conference’s regular season or tournament title. A sampling of nonconference opponents includes four programs which finished the year ranked nationally in the AP Top 25 in No. 6 Louisville, No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 13 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arkansas.
In spite of the difficult schedule and a roster decimated by injury, the Skyhawks finished the season with an overall record of 22-10 while boasting a 16-2 mark during Ohio Valley Conference play to claim the program’s sixth league championship. The campaign marked the 10th 20-win season in program history and tied for the fourth-most wins in a single season.
Along with team accomplishments, the Skyhawks claimed some of the top individual honors as postseason awards were handed out. Junior forward Chelsey Perry became just the fourth All-American in program history after a standout campaign in which she ranked first nationally in field goals made (286), second in total points (740) and third in both points per game (23.1) and field goal attempts (386). She also ranked 11th nationally in blocks (86) and 17th in blocks per game (2.69). Her numerous honors include being tabbed a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, named OVC Player of the Year, selected to the All-OVC first team and claiming an OVC-record eight OVC Player of the Week honors.
Fellow junior forward Maddie Waldrop overcame numerous injuries to not only become the team’s heart and soul but also one of the league’s top players. The All-OVC first team performer averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. She also ranked amongst OVC leaders in defensive rebounds (5.9, fourth), field goal percentage (48.6, fifth), rebounding (7.8 rpg, seventh) and scoring (12.7 ppg, eighth).
UTM head coach Kevin McMillan notched a milestone of his own during the season. With a win against Lipscomb on Dec. 16, McMillan posted his 200th career victory and was recognized as a WBCA Victory Club honoree. He became the first basketball coach in UTM history (men’s or women’s) to accomplish the milestone and joins Larry Joe Inman (545), Dave Loos (420), Bill Worrell (408), Cal Luther (319) and E.A. Diddle (296) as OVC head coaches to tally 200 or more career victories.
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