Walters set for last shot at SoCon women's title

Furman senior Tate Walters earned second team All-Southern
Conference honors this season. Photo courtesy of Furman

Furman senior Tate Walters knows a thing or two about winning in March. Walters arrived in Greenville five years ago after helping Buford (Ga.) High earn Class 5A state championships in each of her four years there, going 118-8 along the way.

On Thursday, Walters begins her final chance at leading her college team to Southern Conference championship glory. The sixth-seeded Paladins will take on No. 3-seed East Tennessee State in the opening round of the SoCon Women's Tournament at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m.

Furman (15-15, 5-9) will try to avenge a season sweep by the Bucs (17-12, 8-6), including a 62-50 road loss in last Saturday's regular season finale. It will be the first postseason meeting between the teams since 2016, but the Paladins have history on their side with an 8-1 record against ETSU at the SoCon Tournament. Furman is shooting for its first SoCon title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.

Walters is one of four Paladins who average double-figure scoring with a team-high 12.3 points per game. Fellow seniors Jada Session and Kate Johnson average 10.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, respectively, while junior Sydney Ryan averages 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds a game. Earlier this week, Walters earned second team All-SoCon honors after finishing sixth in the conference in scoring and third in assists with a team-high 114. Teammate Clare Coyle, who averages 6.2 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game, made the SoCon's All-Freshman team.

Win or lose this week, it's sure to be emotional for Walters who's had a gamut of experiences in her college career. Plenty of the great moments in Walters' career have taken place on the Cherokee Center's court.

Just like this year, Furman was the sixth seed in Walters' freshman season in 2021. In her SoCon Tournament debut, Walters had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Paladins knocked off No. 3-seed Chattanooga, 58-40. She had 15 points the next day, but the Paladins fell to second-seeded Mercer by 10. 

As a sophomore, Walters helped third-seeded Furman reach the championship game. The Paladins would not have sniffed the final if Walters had not put on one of the greatest individual performances I've ever seen by a Furman athlete in the opening round. Furman trailed Chattanooga by four with just over a minute to play before Walters led a rally that resulted in an overtime win. You can read my recap of that game here: http://www.furmansportsreport.com/2022/03/furman-women-rally-survive-and-advance.html.

In the 2022 semifinals, Walters had 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the Paladins' 64-59 win over No. 2-seed Wofford. In the championship, Furman took a one-point lead into halftime over top-seeded Mercer before a big third quarter powered the Bears to the title. Walters had a team-high 20 points that day.

The following season, Walters was looking forward to trying to lead her team back to the SoCon championship in what turned out to be Jackie Carson's final year as head coach. That 2022-23 season ended for Walters before it even started though, after she tore an Achilles tendon in preseason practice. 

She returned to the court for new head coach Pierre Curtis last season. She averaged 10 points per game, had a team-best 107 assists and earned the SoCon's Ann Lashley Award, given to the player who overcomes injury or hardship. Furman had a quick exit at last season's SoCon Tournament as it fell to second-seeded UNC Greensboro in the opening round. Walters was the lone Paladin in double figures with 18 points in the 64-44 loss.

Walters enters this season's tournament ranked 16th on Furman's career scoring list with 1,239 points and is second in career assists with 448.

A two-time SoCon All-Tournament selection, four-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll pick, and CSC Academic All-District honoree a year ago, Walters collected her undergraduate degree in communications in 2023 and is on track to earn her master's degree in strategic design.

Thursday's Furman-ETSU winner will face either second-seeded Chattanooga or seventh-seeded Mercer in Friday's semifinal round at approximately 1:15 p.m.