Golden Eagles draw top-seeded South Carolina in NCAA First Round
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With a lot of the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team’s closest friends, fans and supporters filling up Midtown Social, the atmosphere was electric as the Golden Eagles awaited their postseason fate. They didn’t have to wait too long. While they weren’t on the first leg of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket, Tennessee Tech only had to wait for the first reveal of the Birmingham regional to find out that they’ll take on No. 1-seeded South Carolina on Friday in the opening round.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With a lot of the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team's closest friends, fans and supporters filling up Midtown Social, the atmosphere was electric as the Golden Eagles awaited their postseason fate.
They didn't have to wait too long. While they weren't on the first leg of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament bracket, Tennessee Tech only had to wait for the first reveal of the Birmingham regional to find out that they'll take on No. 1-seeded South Carolina on Friday in the opening round. The game is set for 3 p.m. Central/ 4 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast on ESPN.
It is the Golden Eagles' 12th appearance all-time in the NCAA tournament. Tech is 4-11 all-time in the NCAA tournament with a win over Monmouth in their last appearance in 2023 before falling to No. 3-seeded Indiana. One of the Golden Eagles' victories in the postseason event was over South Carolina 78-73 in the 1989 Mideast Regional.
It's the fifth-straight No. 1 seed for Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, who were ranked No. 2 overall in both national polls as the week began. South Carolina (30-3) won both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships as the Gamecocks won its fourth-straight 30-win season and eighth under Staley's tenure.
The Gamecocks have won three National Championships, including last season's crown.
Also in the bracket for a potential Sunday matchup are No. 8-seeded Utah (22-8) and No. 9-seeded Indiana (19-12).
The Golden Eagles (26-5) won both the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships for the eighth time, but first since 1999-2000. It was Tech's 19th regular-season title and 11th tournament crown, winning two of the last three tournament championships.
Tech enters the NCAA Tournament with 17 straight wins – the third-longest winning streak in program history and the longest since winning 18 straight in 2000-01. The program record is 21 in 1975-76.
The Golden Eagles' 26 victories so far are the fourth-most in a single season and the most since 1989-90. The 18 OVC victories ties the 2017-18 Belmont team for a conference record, while Tech claimed its 31st 20+ win season and seventh 25+ win season.
With the program standing at 1,056 victories – the 22nd most in NCAA Division I – the Golden Eagles surpassed 500 conference victories in January, the first Ohio Valley Conference team to reach that milestone.
Tickets for the NCAA Regional are on sale now through the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
