MOREHEAD, Ky. - Lindenwood women's basketball (10-7, 6-2 OVC) went on the road on Saturday and picked up an emphatic 73-51 victory over the Eagles of Morehead State (7-11, 2-6 OVC). The Lions shot a season-best 56.3% from three-point range going 9-16 during the 22-point win. This win also marked the first in LU's history against Morehead State and the first time they have gone over 10 wins in the Division I era.
Everyone got in on the action against the Eagles as five different Lions scored in double-figures including Gracy Wernli who scored a team-high 15 points on 5-8 shooting. The sophomore guard went 2-4 from three point range while adding three steals.
Mykayla Cunningham was active on both ends of the floor leading the Lions in steals with six, the most in a game by a single player since Makayla Wallace had seven a season ago vs. Tennessee State. Cunningham shot made a team-high six field goals while adding three rebounds and four assists.
Ellie Brueggemann also chipped in 13 points in the win going 5-9 from the floor and 3-5 from deep. She has made multiple threes in four straight games. Brueggemann also added a a career-best six assists vs. MSU. Lindenwood assisted on 19 of their 28 made field-goals.
Mya Skoff and Brooke Coffey rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 and 10 points respectively. Skoff only took five shots, but made it to the foul line a team-high six times. Coffey went 4-9 from the floor including two threes. She has scored in double-digits in eight of her last nine games. Coffey also led the team in rebounding with seven while Mariah Stewart added six.
Lindenwood shot 45.2% from the field on Saturday making 28 field-goals, their second most this season. The Lions' defense also forced Morehead State into 20 turnovers and scored 20 off of those. Morehead State did win the rebounding battle 39-36 including 17 offensive boards.
Morehead State held their only lead of the ball game at the 4-2 mark in the first quarter before the Lions stormed on a 10-4 run to go up 12-4. Brueggemann and Coffey both had threes during the run. The Lions started out the game shooting 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from deep.
The Lions led after the first period of play 17-8 after a review took away a basket by the Lions due to a shot clock violation. LU shot 6-14 from the field during the first 10 minutes, but went 3-5 from deep. Lindenwood scored six points off of Morehead State's eight first quarter turnovers.
The lead in the second quarter was cut to as close as three points (22-19) before the Lions ended the second quarter on a 19-3 run. Lindenwood's defense was active forcing MSU to 4-17 shooting from the field as they shot 64.3% from the field. Wernli scored 10 points in the quarter on 3-4 shooting leading the Lions to a 41-22 halftime score.
Brueggemann (10) and Wernli (13) were both in double-figures at the halfway mark of the game. The lions shot over 50.0% from the field in the first half while making six triples on 10 attempts. LU assisted on 11 of their first 15 made field-goals picking up nine steals in the process.
During the third quarter, the Lions were able to extend their lead to a game-high 29 points with 1:56 remaining after a pair of free throws by Skoff. The Lions started the third off shooting 7-8 from the floor including a 6-6 FG stretch. LU had a 63-37 lead heading into the final quarter. Eight different Lions scored in the third period.
It was a low-scoring affair for both teams in the fourth quarter as Morehead State out-scored the Lions 14-10 but it was too little too late as LU picked up their sixth Ohio Valley Conference win of the season by a final score of 73-51.
TENNESSEE TECH 70, LITTLE ROCK 49
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Before Saturday, Tennessee Tech had only beaten Little Rock once in five meetings. It was when it mattered though – a victory in the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game.
On Saturday, the regular-season streak against the Trojans was dashed as the Golden Eagle women didn't just beat Little Rock, the Tech women dominated, putting together a 21-point victory over the visitors and giving Tech an 8-0 record at home this season with a 70-49 victory.
Tech (12-5, 6-2 OVC) has won 12 straight home games at the Eblen Center, stretching back to last season's victory over Tennessee State. The Golden Eagles are on the road the next two weekends and return home on February 6.
The Golden Eagles had a dominant performance with a team effort and defense creating offense. In the first quarter alone, Tech outscored Little Rock 16-6 as the Trojans hit just two field goals on 10 tries and the Golden Eagles were 5-for-9 with four 3-pointers.
Reghan Grimes and Chloe Larry gave Tech a boost early as Grimes scored seven points on 2-for-2 shooting from the field with a 3-pointer and 2-for-2 at the free-throw line, while the true freshman Larry knocked down two of her 3-point shots for six points.
Grimes added eight more points in the second quarter as she was 4-for-6. Keeley Carter, who was trying to play through an injury from Thursday's contest against Southeast Missouri, gave Tech a lift in the period as she was 3-for-4 from the field with a made free throw for seven points as well as four rebounds and two assists.
Tech led the game 33-18 at the intermission, but Little Rock outscored the Golden Eagles 23-20 in the third quarter to try to chip away. The advantage was short-lived as Tech outscored the Trojans 17-8 in the fourth, including the final 10 unanswered points to close out the contest.
Peyton Carter powered Tech in the second half as she scored 11 of her 16 points to complete her fourth career double-double with 11 rebounds. It is Tech's sixth double-double of the season and the first for Carter since Feb. 24 last season against Eastern Illinois.
The Golden Eagle defense forced 17 Little Rock turnovers, converting into 23 points. Tech also outrebounded the Trojans 36-27.
Tech ended the game with four players in double-figure scoring, led by Grimes with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 4-for-6 from the line. In addition to Carter's 16, Keeley Carter ended the contest with 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Larry ended the game with 10 points. Peyton Carter and Larry both collected a team-best five assists.
Faith Lee led Little Rock (8-9, 6-2 OVC) with 13 points despite foul trouble. Emerald Parker also added 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting, while also pulling down nine rebounds.
With the Tech victory, the Trojans fall into a four-way tie for second place in the conference with Southern Indiana, the Golden Eagles and Lindenwood at 6-2 – two games back from undefeated Eastern Illinois at 8-0 in the league. UT Martin (4-4) is sixth, followed by Western Illinois (3-5), Morehead State (2-6), Southeast Missouri (2-6), SIUE (1-7) and Tennessee State (0-8).
UT MARTIN 72, SIUE 65
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team erased a six-point halftime deficit and scored 43 points in the second half of Saturday's 72-65 win over SIUE at the Kathleen & Tom Elam Center in Martin, Tennessee.
The Skyhawks committed a season-low eight turnovers in the game, while forcing 22 SIUE turnovers. UT Martin also made 30 trips to the free throw line Saturday, converting on 22 of the 30 attempts. Another factor in the win was the 22 points off the bench for the Skyhawks, eclipsing their season average of 17.5
UT Martin placed four players in double-figures against the Cougars including a team-high 16 from Anaya Brown. Norah Clark followed with 14, while Shae Littleford and Kaitlyn Clark each added 11.
Littleford finished the game with a we—rounded stat line, adding six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Lexi Rubel led the Skyhawks on the glass with nine, while Kenley McCarn chipped in with five. Daejah Richmond also contributed to the cause with seven points, three steals and a game-high five assists.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 72, WESTERN ILLINOIS 58
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball secured another gritty Ohio Valley Conference victory on Saturday, winning 72-58 against Western Illinois University from Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles.
USI completed a homestand sweep on Saturday after also capturing a win on Thursday. With Saturday's win, Southern Indiana improved to 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the OVC. USI was in a four-way tie for second in the OVC by the end of the afternoon. Additionally, the Screaming Eagles remained undefeated at home with their 10
th home victory of the season. On the flip side, Western Illinois dropped to 9-8 this season and 3-5 in conference action.
Southern Indiana wasted no time getting going on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first two minutes thanks to two three from sophomore guard
Sophia Loden and a pair of baskets by graduate forward
Meredith Raley. USI had another strong spurt in the back half of the first quarter, as sophomore guard
Triniti Ralston joined the early scoring with a three-point play and a triple. The Eagles led 22-8 after the opening period.
In the second quarter, the game became more defensive and low-scoring. However, Ralston continued where she left off at the end of the first. Ralston reached double figures after hitting a three, converting at the foul line, and scoring a layup in the middle of the second. Southern Indiana's advantage reached 31-12 with four minutes left in the first half. Senior guard
Vanessa Shafford scored five points late in the half, as USI went into the locker room up 38-19.
Western Illinois made a run out of halftime by connecting on a couple of threes and getting to the free-throw line. The Leathernecks trimmed Southern Indiana's lead down to 10, 43-33, three minutes into the second half. Western Illinois got the deficit down to single digits before Raley splashed in a three-pointer and earned a three-point play seconds later to push the Eagles back ahead by 12, 49-37. Southern Indiana went into the fourth quarter ahead 58-45.
The Screaming Eagles maintained a 13-point advantage in the early going of the fourth quarter, but Western Illinois drained a pair of threes to chip away. The Leathernecks cut USI's lead down to six, 62-56, near the midway point of the fourth. Down the stretch of the contest, Southern Indiana took care of business at the free-throw line and outscored Western Illinois 10-2. Plus, USI's defense held the Leathernecks without a field goal in the final five minutes to help close out the win.
Southern Indiana shot 43 percent (25-58) from the floor and 33 percent (7-21) from three in the game. USI went 15-17 for 88 percent at the free-throw line. The Eagles also dominated on the glass, 42-26. Raley dropped a game-high 21 points for her fifth 20-point game of the season and fourth such game in the last six outings. Ralston had 16 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Loden tallied 13 points to match her career best. Shafford finished with her fourth double-double of the season and 16
th in her career, posting 10 points and 11 boards.
Western Illinois was limited to 36.5 percent shooting (19-52) but connected for 40 percent (8-20) from beyond the arc. The Leathernecks went 12-14 for over 85 percent at the foul stripe. Sophomore forward Raegan McCowan led three Leathernecks in double figures with 18 points.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 67, TENNESSEE STATE 54
NASHVILLE - Kiyley Flowers scored eight straight points late in the third quarter to spark a key Eastern Illinois run as the Panthers improved to 11-6 overall, 8-0 in the OVC with a 67-54 road win at Tennessee State.
EIU held a 35-26 lead at the half and extended that lead to double figures for a good portion of the third quarter.
Tennessee State closed the lead to five on a Lyric Cole basket with 3:08 to play and then to three points at 44-41 with 2:50 remaining in the third on a Somah Kamara lay-up.
Flowers answered with a 3-pointer scoring the next eight points for EIU as they closed out the quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 54-41 after three quarters of play. Flowers had eight of her nine points in the run. She also had one steal extending her current streak of consecutive games with at least one steal to 53.
Macy McGlone closed out that third quarter run with a basket posting her 40th career double-double on Saturday with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
EIU opened the game with an 8-0 run and never trailed in the contest dominating play on the glass with a 50-31 rebound margin.
Alex Rouse added ten points as the second EIU player in double figures.
TSU fell to 4-14 overall, 0-8 in the OVC. The Lady Tigers were led by Cole with 12 points followed by Saniah Parker with 11.