University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Basketball
Tharrington, Joyous
Joyous Tharrington
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jtharrin@unca.edu
- Phone:
- 251-6924
Joyous Tharrington joined the UNC Asheville women’s basketball coaching staff prior to the 2016-17 season after spending the past two years as a Graduate Assistant at Liberty University.
In the 2017-18 season, UNC Asheville women's basketball raced through Big South Conference play, which was highlighted by handing Liberty its first league loss of the year. The Bulldogs' season was capped off by playing in their third straight postseason tournament. UNC Asheville hosted Furman in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), which was the first time the program has hosted a postseason tournament.
Also during the 2017-18 season, Bronaza Fitzgerald broke the UNC Asheville Division I record for single-season rebounds with 319. Khaila Webb also etched her name into the record book, as she finished her career with 1,109 points (13th-most all-time), and Jessica Wall also broke the program record for the most made three-pointers in a season (90).
While the 2016-17 campaign proved special, it also brought about its own unique challenges. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 19-15 record that included an impressive finish and UNC Asheville’s second-straight Big South Conference Championship crown and NCAA Tournament berth. The 19-15 record marked just the seventh time in program history that UNC Asheville women’s basketball finished with a positive record.
Tabbed as the league’s preseason favorite to claim the regular-season crown, the Bulldogs started the season well enough, winning four of their first five games. As the calendar turned to conference play, the Bulldogs lost key players to injury, forcing the staff to make changes to personnel and game strategies while asking players to expand their rolls. Despite going 9-9 in Big South play during the regular season, the changes and growth paid off in spades as the Bulldogs closed out the 2016-17 campaign winning eight of their last 10 games. Included in that stretch were two wins to wrap up the regular season and then four wins in four days to claim the Big South Conference Championship title. It was the first time in league history that a team had won four games over four days to take home the title.
During the Big South Conference Championships stretch, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs won their first-round game over No. 10 seed Longwood and turned around the next day to knock of second-seeded Campbell in the quarterfinal round. During the semifinal round, Asheville defeated sixth-seeded Presbyterian and the Bulldogs then wrapped up the incredible stretch by toppling top-seeded Radford in the championship game, earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. In doing so, the Bulldogs became the first seven-seed to ever win the Big South Women’s Basketball Championships. Chatori Major and Sonora Dengokl were both recognized following the tournament with All-Tournament honors and Dengokl was awarded the program’s second-straight MVP award.
UNC Asheville closed out the season as the 16-seed in the Stockton (Ca.) Regional of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs played top-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the tournament and despite a strong start, ultimately bowed out.
Major and fellow senior KJ Weaver were both named to the Big South All-Conference teams with Major picking up her second-straight first-team honor. Major became just the fourth UNC Asheville women’s basketball player to earn multiple Big South first-team plaudits. Major was also named to the conference’s All-Academic Team.
During the season several players permanently etched their names in the UNC Asheville record book. Senior guards Tianna Knuckles and Chatori Major became the 105th and 106th women’s basketball players in conference history to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark. Knuckles ended her playing career with 1,129 career points, the 10th-most all-time in program history and sixth-most in Asheville’s NCAA Division I era. Major ended her career with 1,116 career points, the 12th-most by a Bulldog all-time and eighth-most in the Division I era. As a junior during the 2015-16 season, Knuckles set the school record for most three-pointers in a single season with 73. It was a mark that had stood for over 25 years. During the 2016-17 campaign, Major then broke the record and set a new standard with 78 three-pointers. Fellow senior KJ Weaver also etched her name in the record book as she ended her career with 747 rebounds, sixth-most by a UNC Asheville women’s basketball player and fourth-most in the NCAA Division I era. Weaver was the 108th Big South Conference women’s basketball player to eclipse the 500-rebound plateau and then became the 74th player in league history to bring down 600 rebounds and the 50th player to eclipse 700 rebounds. Weaver also finished her career in the top-five in program history with 157 career blocks.
Prior to breaking into the coaching ranks, Tharrington played two seasons at Richmond (2008-09 and 2009-10) before transferring to George Mason for her final two campaigns (2011-12 and 2012-13). She was a team captain during each of her years at George Mason and was the co-founder of the campus Athletes in Action group there.
Tharrington earned a pair of bachelor's degrees from George Mason. She completed a degree in psychology in 2012 before graduating with a degree in sociology in 2013. Tharrington made both the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State team and the CAA All-Academic first team during her final season at George Mason.
Tharrington received her master's degree in human services counseling from Liberty University where she served as a Graduate Assistant for two years (2014-16).
Tharrington attended Brookville High School where she helped the Bees win four straight girls' basketball district titles. She graduated in 2008 as the leading scorer (1,350 career points) and rebounder (811 career boards) in school history.
In the 2017-18 season, UNC Asheville women's basketball raced through Big South Conference play, which was highlighted by handing Liberty its first league loss of the year. The Bulldogs' season was capped off by playing in their third straight postseason tournament. UNC Asheville hosted Furman in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), which was the first time the program has hosted a postseason tournament.
Also during the 2017-18 season, Bronaza Fitzgerald broke the UNC Asheville Division I record for single-season rebounds with 319. Khaila Webb also etched her name into the record book, as she finished her career with 1,109 points (13th-most all-time), and Jessica Wall also broke the program record for the most made three-pointers in a season (90).
While the 2016-17 campaign proved special, it also brought about its own unique challenges. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 19-15 record that included an impressive finish and UNC Asheville’s second-straight Big South Conference Championship crown and NCAA Tournament berth. The 19-15 record marked just the seventh time in program history that UNC Asheville women’s basketball finished with a positive record.
Tabbed as the league’s preseason favorite to claim the regular-season crown, the Bulldogs started the season well enough, winning four of their first five games. As the calendar turned to conference play, the Bulldogs lost key players to injury, forcing the staff to make changes to personnel and game strategies while asking players to expand their rolls. Despite going 9-9 in Big South play during the regular season, the changes and growth paid off in spades as the Bulldogs closed out the 2016-17 campaign winning eight of their last 10 games. Included in that stretch were two wins to wrap up the regular season and then four wins in four days to claim the Big South Conference Championship title. It was the first time in league history that a team had won four games over four days to take home the title.
During the Big South Conference Championships stretch, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs won their first-round game over No. 10 seed Longwood and turned around the next day to knock of second-seeded Campbell in the quarterfinal round. During the semifinal round, Asheville defeated sixth-seeded Presbyterian and the Bulldogs then wrapped up the incredible stretch by toppling top-seeded Radford in the championship game, earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. In doing so, the Bulldogs became the first seven-seed to ever win the Big South Women’s Basketball Championships. Chatori Major and Sonora Dengokl were both recognized following the tournament with All-Tournament honors and Dengokl was awarded the program’s second-straight MVP award.
UNC Asheville closed out the season as the 16-seed in the Stockton (Ca.) Regional of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs played top-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the tournament and despite a strong start, ultimately bowed out.
Major and fellow senior KJ Weaver were both named to the Big South All-Conference teams with Major picking up her second-straight first-team honor. Major became just the fourth UNC Asheville women’s basketball player to earn multiple Big South first-team plaudits. Major was also named to the conference’s All-Academic Team.
During the season several players permanently etched their names in the UNC Asheville record book. Senior guards Tianna Knuckles and Chatori Major became the 105th and 106th women’s basketball players in conference history to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark. Knuckles ended her playing career with 1,129 career points, the 10th-most all-time in program history and sixth-most in Asheville’s NCAA Division I era. Major ended her career with 1,116 career points, the 12th-most by a Bulldog all-time and eighth-most in the Division I era. As a junior during the 2015-16 season, Knuckles set the school record for most three-pointers in a single season with 73. It was a mark that had stood for over 25 years. During the 2016-17 campaign, Major then broke the record and set a new standard with 78 three-pointers. Fellow senior KJ Weaver also etched her name in the record book as she ended her career with 747 rebounds, sixth-most by a UNC Asheville women’s basketball player and fourth-most in the NCAA Division I era. Weaver was the 108th Big South Conference women’s basketball player to eclipse the 500-rebound plateau and then became the 74th player in league history to bring down 600 rebounds and the 50th player to eclipse 700 rebounds. Weaver also finished her career in the top-five in program history with 157 career blocks.
Prior to breaking into the coaching ranks, Tharrington played two seasons at Richmond (2008-09 and 2009-10) before transferring to George Mason for her final two campaigns (2011-12 and 2012-13). She was a team captain during each of her years at George Mason and was the co-founder of the campus Athletes in Action group there.
Tharrington earned a pair of bachelor's degrees from George Mason. She completed a degree in psychology in 2012 before graduating with a degree in sociology in 2013. Tharrington made both the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State team and the CAA All-Academic first team during her final season at George Mason.
Tharrington received her master's degree in human services counseling from Liberty University where she served as a Graduate Assistant for two years (2014-16).
Tharrington attended Brookville High School where she helped the Bees win four straight girls' basketball district titles. She graduated in 2008 as the leading scorer (1,350 career points) and rebounder (811 career boards) in school history.
Highlights || Women's Basketball || #9 UNC Asheville vs #1 High Point (Big South Tournament)
Thursday, March 14
Highlights || Women's Basketball || #9 UNC Asheville vs #8 Gardner-Webb (Big South Tournament)
Thursday, March 14
Highlights || Women's Basketball || UNC Asheville vs Radford
Monday, March 04
Highlights || Women's Basketball || UNC Asheville at Gardner-Webb
Monday, February 26
