EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Junior guard Shae Littleford picked up Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference accolades for the second straight year as the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball program placed fourth in the preseason standings as part of OVC Basketball Media Day festivities today.
The league’s annual Basketball Media Day gathering took place at the Doubletree Hotel and the Ford Center, which will host the OVC Basketball Championship tournament for the seventh straight year next March.
The Skyhawks were voted fourth out of 11 teams by the OVC’s head basketball coaches and communication directors, accumulating 135 points in the poll. Tennessee Tech was slotted as the preseason favorite with 16 first-place votes and 196 points, followed by Little Rock (five first-place votes, 184 points) and Eastern Illinois (one first-place vote, 157 points). Following UT Martin in the preseason standings was Southeast Missouri (125 points), Southern Indiana (104), SIUE (89), Tennessee State (75), Morehead State (64), Western Illinois (49) and Lindenwood (32).
A 5-7 southpaw from Charleston, Ill., Littleford followed her All-OVC second team with a spot on the 13-member Preseason All-OVC squad. She averaged 13.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals while playing 32.8 minutes over 23 games (20 starts) in 2022-23.
A year ago, Littleford ranked in the top-10 in the OVC in free throw percentage (.864, second), assists (3.3 per game, sixth), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.12, sixth), minutes played (32.8 per contest, seventh), steals (1.7 per outing, ninth) and scoring (13.0 points per game, 10th).
Littleford scored in double digits 17 times in 2022-23, including six outings of at least 20 points. She went off for three consecutive 20-plus point outings in OVC play from Feb. 2-6, accomplishing that feat against SIUE (20 points), Lindenwood (career-best 29 points) and Evansville (23 points).
Skyhawk all-time wins leader Kevin McMillan returns seven players and three starters from last year’s team that battled injuries before going 9-9 in OVC play. UT Martin led the OVC in free throw percentage (.787) while also ranking first in league play in both blocked shots (3.2 per outing) and steals (10.6 per contest).
The Skyhawks host Blue Mountain for a Monday, Oct. 30 exhibition before officially beginning the 2023-24 season on Monday, Nov. 6 at Marquette. UT Martin’s home opener is set for Thursday, Nov. 9 against Vanderbilt. Season tickets are now on sale for the 2023-24 campaign as those can be purchased via phone (731-881-7207), email (athletic.events@utm.edu) or online (http://www.utmsports.com/tickets).
