Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles freshman LaReesha Cawthorn said it all comes back to one thing for her when overcoming challenges.
“I think it just goes back to our standards and everything that we go by,” Cawthorn said. “Positive energy, positive attitude so when things go wrong, we always have things go wrong in practice, we practice those things and when things go wrong in game then we’re already prepared for those.”
In a February overtime victory over Eastern Illinois, Cawthorn delivered one of the most dominant performances in program history, pouring in 27 points and grabbing 27 rebounds. The 27 boards were the most by a Golden Eagle in 50 years, cementing her name in Tennessee Tech’s record book in her freshman year.
Cawthorn said rebounding has always felt natural. Cawthorn said it has been a staple of her game since her early days playing Little Pro basketball in elementary school.
Cawthorn said she began taking the sport more seriously in eighth grade, and that commitment eventually carried her from Franklin-Simpson High School in Kentucky to Cookeville as a Division I scholarship athlete.
When the opportunity to join Tennessee Tech became reality, the emotions hit hard. Cawthorn said she was overwhelmed with joy making the move from Kentucky to become a Golden Eagle. Any concerns about the jump from high school to college basketball quickly faded.
“With the help of my coaches and teammates as well, they were very helpful and let me know if there was anything [wrong] that they would be there,” Cawthorn said. “The coaches and my teammates let me know what to expect and they would help me with anything I needed.”
With a month to go in the regular season, Cawthorn has earned multiple Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honors and has also been recognized as OVC Player of the Week. She ranks among the league’s top rebounders and has emerged as one of the conference’s most physical interior presences.
While rebounding has always been her comfort zone, Cawthorn said she points to one specific area of growth since arriving on campus.
“Definitely my post game,” Cawthorn said. “In high school, I don’t think I was much of a back to the basket post player. I was more of a face up and drive it to the basket with the help of my coaches and teammates. I think that I’ve definitely improved a whole bunch on that, became more confident in my post up game, and going one on one a lot more than I was in high school.”
No longer just a face-up threat, Cawthorn now commands attention on the block, where her footwork and physicality have elevated her scoring to match her elite rebounding instincts. Still, even after a historic 27-rebound performance, Cawthorn said her mindset always circles back to how her team’s standards and preparations fare against each opponent.