SATURDAY'S SCORES
*Eastern Illinois 105, @Morehead State 103 (4OT)
*@Western Illinois 71, UT Martin 61
*@Southeast Missouri 48, Tennessee State 47
*Tennessee Tech 82, @Lindenwood 52
*@Southern Indiana 75, SIUE 58
EASTERN ILLINOIS 105, MOREHEAD STATE 103 (4OT)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Eastern Illinois and Morehead State played a historic four-overtime game on Saturday afternoon and while the normal cast of characters showed up, it was some unlikely heroes for Eastern Illinois as they won 105-103.
EIU improved to 10-15 overall, 7-5 in the OVC. Morehead State fell to 12-11, 7-5 in the OVC.
EIU had three key players foul out in the overtime session with Macy McGlone, Taris Thornton and Charita "Tiny" Lewis all sitting on the bench in the final crucial minutes.
In their place Ella Lune and Ellie Colson had big plays. Lune finished with five rebounds with one of them on the offensive glass with 2:16 left in the final overtime and her put-back basket put EIU up 103-100. Both teams traded free throw attempts with Lune knocking down another big one with 7 seconds left to put EIU up 105-103. Ellie Colson would draw a charge with two seconds left giving EIU the ball and the win.
In the third overtime session, EIU jumped out to an early lead with Ellie Buzzelle and Emily Meidel knocking down big 3-pointers. Melissa Secchiaroli had a 3-pointer and driving lay-up for the Eagles with 44 seconds left in the third overtime as the teams were knotted at 99-99 after three overtimes.
Macy McGlone had her school record setting 20th double-double with 33 points and 18 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth OT period. EIU had four other players in double figures as well.
Miah Monahan had 24 points playing 54 minutes on the floor with six assists. Buzzelle added 14, Thornton 11 and Sydney-James Desroches 10.
Morehead State had four players in double figures led by Hallie Rhodes with 26. Veronica Charles had 23 points as those top two players both fouled out in the OT sessions for MSU. Katie Novik had 15 points and Secchiaroli added ten.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 71, UT MARTIN 61
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois does not trail as they take down UT Martin 71-61 in front of packed crowd inside Western Hall. WIU stays undefeated (15-0) when they score 70 or more points, moving to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in OVC play.
In a game that saw multiple offensive spurts, Western Illinois' defense kicked off the ball game, forcing UT Martin to be scoreless for the first five minutes. As WIU's defense locked down the Skyhawks, the Leathernecks' offense opened a 10-0 lead. Raegan McCowan got the offense going with four straight points, and Allie Meadows knocked down two three-pointers with 5:22 left. McCowan and Meadows hit two more shots as the WIU offense opened a 12-point lead (15-3) late in the opening quarter. Anna Deets scored the final two points as WIU held a 17-3 lead after one.
WIU's offense continued to be red hot to start the second quarter as Deets buried back-to-back triples, pushing WIU's lead out to its largest at 25-5. UT Martin chipped the Leatherneck lead down to 13 (27-14), but Carla Flores stopped the run with a corner three-pointer, putting the Leathernecks back in front by 16. Deets once again ended the quarter from the free throw line for WIU as they took a 13-point (32-19) lead into the halftime break.
The Leathernecks quickly grew their lead to 19 (38-19) as Alissa Dins and Allie Meadows found Deets for two triples to start the 2nd half. Addi Brownfield continued to keep the Leathernecks in front by the media timeout as UTM cut the WIU lead down to 11 at the media timeout. Both teams traded buckets as WIU took a 49-43 lead into the 4th quarter.
A 6-0 run for the Skyhawks tied the game at 49, forcing a Leatherneck timeout. Out of the timeout, Deets, Brownfield, and Mallory McDermott went back-to-back-to-back for nine straight points as WIU jumped in front 58-49. Ahead 60-57, WIU returned to McDermott twice to push WIU's lead back out to five. With 1:04 left, Brownfield pushed the game to three possession from the free throw line, and McDermott iced the game with a corner three as WIU won 71-61.
Addi Brownfield had a nearly triple-double as she finished with nine points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. Raegan McCowan kept her double-digit scoring streak alive, dropping 15 points to go along with nine rebounds. Anna Deets led all scorers with 21 points, finishing with five made threes and 4-4 from the free throw line. Mallory McDermott provided the bench spark with a double-digit 11 points off the bench.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 48, TENNESSEE STATE 47
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (7-16, 4-8 OVC) snapped a five-game losing skid on Saturday afternoon with a 48-47 victory over Tennessee State (7-15, 4-8 OVC) at the Show-Me Center.
Freshman Indiya Bowen and Alecia Doyle each dropped in 18 points to lead the way offensively for the Redhawks. The duo finished 11-29 from the floor and 3-12 from behind the three-point line.
As a team, SEMO shot just 29-percent (16-54) from the floor and only 15-percent from behind the arc (3-20). The Tigers were just below the Redhawks, shooting 16-55 (29.1-percent) and were 4-12 from three (33-percent).
The Redhawks did damage at the free throw line, including four clutch free ones down the stretch from Bowen and Jaliyah Green to seal the deal. SEMO shot 87-percent from the line (13-15), led by the backcourt trio of Bowen, Green, and Doyle (13-15) who were the only three to go to the free-throw line.
The Tigers won the turnover battle, 24-16, converting them into 20 of their 47 points, but the Redhawks controlled the glass. SEMO outrebounded TSU by a mark of 39-26, including 17 offensive rebounds which they converted into eight second-chacne points.
Saturday's contest featured eight lead changes and was tied nine times.
Alecia Doyle wasted no time getting back to her scoring ways as she opened the game with a strong drive to the basket and was fouled 18-seconds into the contest. She drained the free throws to give SEMO a 2-0 lead.
After TSU tied it with a layup from Eboni Williams, guard Jaliyah Green registered the first field goal of the contest for SEMO just outside the elbow.
Following a Doyle basket, TSU used a pair of free throws and back-to-back baskets to take a 9-6 lead with 6:33 left in the opening 10-minutes.
Four straight points from Indiya Bowen regained the lead for the Redhawks. Bowen drove to the basket and laid it in over the TSU defense, and then did it all herself with a steal and a coast-to-coast layup for the 10-9 lead.
The Redhawks and Tigers would trade baskets as the quarter ended and SEMO took an 18-14 lead into the quarter break.
Green started the scoring in the second quarter with a nice driving layup as she finished with her right hand to extend the Redhawks lead to five.
TSU would answer with their own layup, but Doyle would drain a three-pointer to give SEMO a six-point lead, their largest lead of the game to that point. With 7:06 left, SEMO lead 23-17.
A TSU jump shot by Diamond Cannon, followed by a pair of Cannon's free throws got the Tigers back to within two points with just over three minutes to go before halftime.
Back-to-back Doyle baskets, a jumper, and a layup, put the Redhawks up six with 1:33 before halftime. The Tigers closed the half with a pair of free throws as SEMO led 27-23 at the half.
Alecia Doyle led all scorers at the half with 11 points on 3-9 shooting and was perfect from the free-throw line (4-4). As a team, SEMO shot 37-percent (10-27) and an impressive 86-percent from the charity stripe (6-7).
TSU shot just 28-percent (7-25) from the field in the opening half, led by Eboni Williams and Zyion Shannon with eight points each, but turned the Redhawks over 11 times and converted those into nine points.
SEMO dominated the interior in the opening 20-minutes, outrebounding the Tigers 16-10, and scored 12-of-their-27 points in the paint. Jaliyah Green and Alecia Doyle were the leading rebounders in the half with four apiece.
A back-and-forth third quarter, TSU opened the second half scoring with a pullup jumper by Caitlin Anderson to cut the Redhawks four-point halftime lead to two on their first possession.
The Tigers would tie it at 31 at the 6:01 mark on a second-chance opportunity by Jordan Aikens and would take the lead after a free throw by Zyion Shannon with 5:44 left in the third.
TSU led by as many as six points in the quarter before a big three-pointer from Doyle would get the Redhawks to within three.
Guard Indiya Bowen drained a three-pointer on the following possession and the game was tied at 37 with just under two minutes left in the third.
Two TSU free throws, followed by an Alecia Doyle jumper would tie the game at 39 where the quarter would end deadlocked heading to the fourth quarter.
A low scoring fourth quarter went the way of the Redhawks as Indiya Bowen scored the quarter's first basket to give SEMO a 41-39 lead with 8:44 left in the game.
TSU's Zyion Shannon would tie the game with a second-chance layup with 6:24 left as both teams struggled to get any offense going in the quarter.
The teams traded free throws, each making one, and were deadlocked at 42 with just 4:27 left to go.
The Redhawks would regain the lead with 26-seconds left on a pair of Bowen free throws and would close the game with Jaliyah Green at the free-throw line, making the score 48-44.
TSU would hit a last second three-pointer, but it wasn't enough as the Redhawks held on for a 48-47 win.
TENNESSEE TECH 82, LINDENWOOD 52
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Tennessee Tech dominated in nearly every phase of the game Saturday, cruising to an 82-52 victory over Lindenwood.
The Golden Eagles improve to 11-12 overall, 6-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while the Lions fall to 6-16 overall, 4-8 in league play.
Maaliya Owens led Tech in scoring with 22 points, shooting 7-for-15 from the field and knocking down five 3-pointers. She had 11 of Tech’s first 15 points in the game as she was 4-for-5 and 3-for-3 from long-range in the first quarter.
While she was the only double-digit scorer, every active Golden Eagle scored in the game. Reagan Hurst had eight points, five rebounds, five assist, three steals and two blocks. Anna Walker had eight points, four rebounds and three steals. Peyton Carter had seven points, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal.
Lindenwood had two double-digit scorers as Alyssa Nielsen led the way with 18 points, while Mary McGrath had 10.
Tech dominated on the glass, outrebounding Lindenwood 47-22. The Golden Eagles pulled down 17 offensive boards, converting into 15 second-chance points. The paint also proved to be friendly confines for the Golden Eagles on Saturday, collecting 42 points inside and under the basket. Tech was also able to go on several fast breaks, scoring 25 points off the breakaway.
The Golden Eagle offense was consistent for all four quarters, scoring 22 in the first and second quarters, 18 in the third and 20 in the fourth. On shooting, Tech started off strong, connecting at a 64.3-percent rate in the opening stanza before cooling to 36.8 percent in the second. The Golden Eagles shot 44.4 and 53.4 percent in the third and fourth quarters respectively. Tech’s longest run was a 10-0 stretch in the waning moments of the second quarter, leading to a 44-24 halftime lead.
The 30-point deficit as the game ended was the largest Golden Eagle lead of the contest.
Lindenwood started the game off with a strong 46.7 shooting effort in the first 10 minutes, but hovered in the 30s for the remainder of the contest as Tech ended the game outshooting the Lions 48.5 percent to 38.2. The Golden Eagles were 9-for-23 from 3-point range, while the Lions were 2-for-15.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 75, SIUE 58
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball clinched its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth inside Screaming Eagles Arena on Saturday night behind a 75-58 victory against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
After missing out on the OVC's postseason field of eight last season due to a tiebreaker, Southern Indiana became the first OVC program to claim its spot this season with its league-leading 11-1 conference record. Saturday's win pushed USI's overall record to 16-6. Following Saturday's results, USI holds a three-game first-place lead in the conference standings. Additionally, Southern Indiana swept its pair of home games this week, marking the sixth OVC weekly sweep for the Eagles this season.
Saturday was Homecoming and Hall of Fame Night at Screaming Eagles Arena, and on an evening of celebration and welcoming back alumni, Southern Indiana got its largest crowd of the season of over 2,000 fans excited right away. USI started the game with back-to-back three-pointers within the first minute of action. USI led 8-0 before SIUE got on the scoreboard. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) had a fast start for the Screaming Eagles, scoring seven of USI's first 10 points. The offense then cooled as the Eagles led 12-4 with 4:30 left on the clock in the opening quarter. Southern Indiana grabbed an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter off a buzzer-beating jumper by junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana).
Defenses continued to make things tough for both offenses in the early minutes of the second period. However, Southern Indiana got the offense rolling by using its size advantage inside to add to its lead. Raley reached the 10-point mark just 13 minutes into the first half. Shafford drained a jumper to put USI up by double digits, 25-14, three minutes into the second quarter. Southern Indiana produced two double-figure runs that allowed the Screaming Eagles to build a sizable lead. Freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) paced the charge by the Eagles with 10 second-quarter points, as USI outscored the Cougars 23-9 and shot nearly 70 percent in the second frame to take a 41-21 halftime advantage.
Out of the intermission, it took nearly four minutes for Southern Indiana to find the bottom of the net, but back-to-back triples did the trick. Sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) drained one of the treys before stroking through a mid-range jumper to give USI a 21-point lead, 49-28, midway into the third quarter. The Screaming Eagles tacked on to their lead with another pair of threes from Saunders and graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). Southern Indiana's defense also remained tough, as USI held SIUE to 3-15 for 20 percent shooting for the third straight quarter. The Eagles carried a 59-31 lead to the fourth stanza.
In the first portion of the fourth quarter, Saunders canned another three, while Gannon added to her solid game. Gannon reached 18 points in the fourth, matching a career best. Southern Indiana led by more than 30 in the middle of the period, but the Cougars did not go quietly. SIUE shot for 60 percent and connected five times from long range in the fourth.
For the game, Southern Indiana was 28-59 for 47 percent shooting, knocking down eight threes. USI was also 11-15 for 73 percent at the foul line. The Screaming Eagles had 36 bench points and won the rebounding battle, 39-36. Gannon paced USI with 18 points, and Saunders finished with 13 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting night and 3-3 from beyond the arc. Shafford tallied nine points with 11 rebounds. Shafford had scored 10 or more in the previous 19 games. Raley chipped in 10 points in the game Saturday.
SIUE (4-21, 1-11) was held by Southern Indiana's defense to only 30 percent shooting (18-60) with seven triples. The Cougars did go a perfect 15-15 at the free-throw stripe. SIUE had three players score in double figures.