UT MARTIN’S CHELSEY PERRY AND MADDIE WALDROP NAMED PRESEASON ALL-OVC; PERRY TABBED PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
11/6/2020 11:01:00 AM | Women's Basketball
In addition to her All-OVC first team honors, Perry was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year. This marks just the fourth time that a Skyhawk has been tabbed as the league's Preseason Player of the Year, joining UT Martin Hall of Famers Zabrina Harris (1999-2000), Heather Butler (2012-13) and Jasmine Newsome (2013-14).
BREAKING: Congratulations to @UTMartinWBB All-American senior forward Chelsey Perry on being named the program's fourth OVC Preseason Player of the Year!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) November 6, 2020
🏀 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Finalist
🏀 2019-20 WBCA Coaches' All-American
🏀 23.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG pic.twitter.com/KESm728AjS
A native of Middleton, Tenn., Perry continues to add to her stellar collegiate résumé with her third consecutive Preseason All-OVC honor. The 2020 OVC Player of the Year strung together an impressive list of accolades during her junior campaign which featured being named to the WBCA Coaches' All-American honorable mention squad, a finalist for Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year and institutional 2019-20 Bettye Giles Female Athlete of the Year.WBB: @UTMartinWBB senior forward Chelsey Perry has been named to the 11-woman Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference squad!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) November 6, 2020
Last season:
🏀 2019-20 OVC Player of the Year
🏀 23.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG
🏀 Ranked 2nd in NCAA in points (740)
🏀 30 games in double figures pic.twitter.com/xsmqNJ6jFp
Perry played and started in all 32 games for the Skyhawks last season where she averaged 23.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. 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) while ranking 11th in blocks (86) and 17th in blocks per game (2.69). Her 740 points ranked first amongst all collegiate scorers in the state of Tennessee, earning her TSWA Women's Basketball Player of the Year honors.
She scored in double figures in the final 30 games of the season while posting 20 games with at least 20 points and nine games of 30 points or more. Her best game came against in-state foe Lipscomb where she scored a career-high 42 points which tied for the sixth-most points in the NCAA last season and marked an OVC season single-game high. Other highlights from the year include joining the 1,000-point club against Austin Peay while tying the program record with eight blocks against IUPUI. She also posted six double-doubles while scoring 479 points against OVC foes to mark the most points scored in league play over the last 20 seasons.
Hailing from Murray, Ky. Waldrop used her junior season to make the leap from a consistent contributor to one of the league's elite performers. A two-time Preseason All-OVC honoree, Waldrop claimed All-OVC first team honors last season after averaging 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. She 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). Waldrop scored in double figures 19 times while eclipsing 20 points or more on four occasions.WBB: @UTMartinWBB senior forward Maddie Waldrop has been named to the 11-woman Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference squad!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) November 6, 2020
Last season:
🏀 2019-20 All-OVC first team
🏀 12.7 Points/Game
🏀 7.8 Rebounds/Game
🏀 19 games in double figures
🏀 Seven double-doubles pic.twitter.com/P79iEcaOSg
Her numbers were even stronger in conference play where she ranked second in field goal percentage (54.7 percent), third in assist/turnover ratio (1.8), fourth in defensive rebounding (6.2), fifth in scoring (15.8 ppg), fifth in rebounds (8.4 rpg) and eighth in blocks (18).
She posted her best offensive game with 26 points against Morehead State while tallying seven double-doubles. Arguably her best all-around performance came against Austin Peay where she tallied 22 points and 13 rebounds in the road contest.
2020-21 Women's Basketball Preseason All-OVC TeamHere is a look at the 11-person Preseason All-OVC Women's Basketball 🏀 Team.
— OhioValleyConference (@OVCSports) November 6, 2020
Full release and preseason preview: https://t.co/QLM38eZHXv. pic.twitter.com/4FxlxuuHgl
Chelsey Perry (Sr., G), UT Martin
Tesia Thompson (Sr., G), Southeast Missouri
Maddie Waldrop (Sr., F), UT Martin
Karle Pace (Sr., G), Eastern Illinois
Macey Turley (Jr., G), Murray State
Kesha Brady (Sr., G), Tennessee Tech
Lariah Washington (So., G), Eastern Illinois
Alexis Burpo (Jr., F/G), Murray State
Ariel Kirkwood (So., G), Morehead State
Jamilyn Kinney (Jr., G), Belmont
Taylor Hawks (Sr., G), Jacksonville State
Preseason Player of the Year: Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
