Ohio Valley Conference

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Anna Walker had the unconventional double-double on Saturday. The 14 points were big, but a 10-spot in blocks to break the single-game program record? Not too shabby at all.

That was just one of the pieces to the equation as Tennessee Tech leaves Evansville in a tie for the Ohio Valley Conference lead. The Golden Eagles topped defending conference champion Southern Indiana 81-62 for the regular-season sweep, then Lindenwood beat Eastern Illinois 57-55 for the Panthers' second-straight loss to put EIU, Lindenwood and Tech all square at the top of the OVC standings.

With the victory, Tech improves to 16-5 and 10-2 in the OVC after winning its seventh-straight game. It also gives the Golden Eagles their seventh-straight season with double-digit conference wins – the longest stretch in program history.

The win also clinches a spot for Tech in the OVC Basketball Championships back in Evansville next month. It's still a long way to go to secure the final seeding, but it is assured the Purple and Gold will be back in the Ford Center when all is said and done in the regular season.

The albatross in the room for the opposing Eagles – Screaming or Golden – was Tech's 21-0 run to open the third quarter. The game was pretty close through the first half, Tech holding serve with a 17-13 advantage in the first period, then inched a little bit further ahead with a 14-12 advantage to take a 31-25 lead at the intermission.

Then the Golden Eagles came out and scored 21 straight points over the first 5:13 of the new half. In that stretch, Tech went 6-for-7 from the field, 3-for-3 from 3-point range and 6-for-6 at the line to build up a 27-point advantage, the largest of the contest. Sophia Loden ended the Screaming Eagles futility streak – 0-for-4 with three blocked shots and five turnovers – with 4:47 remaining in the quarter as she drained a three.

USI (16-7, 8-4 OVC), who dropped its first game at home since December 2023 – ending a 20-game home winning streak – surged back to get back within 16 points at the end of the third period. The Screaming Eagles didn't have a bad third quarter – shooting 5-for-9 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point land and 6-for-6 at the line. It was just the Golden Eagles in the span shot 72.7 percent, knocking down eight of their 11 tries, was 3-for-4 from 3 and 9-for-10 at the line.

The closest the Screaming Eagles were able to cut the deficit down to was 11 points, which came twice in the fourth – once with 7:13 left, then again with 2:36 remaining in the game. However, every time USI tried to surge back within reach, Tech was able to extend the advantage back out to 18 the first time and 19 in the final seconds of the contest.

Keeley Carter led the Golden Eagles with 20 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers, while draining six of eight free throws. She also had five rebounds and three assists. True freshman Chloe Larry was almost perfect on the day – she was from the field, knocking down all six of her field goal attempts, but went 4-for-5 at the stripe.

Taris Thornton tried her hardest for a double-double, collecting 15 points om 5-for-8 shooting and 5-for-7 at the line, but was ruled short on the boards as she was credited with nine caroms to go with an assist, a steal and two blocks.

Walker tied the school record with nine blocks with 4:25 remaining in the game, joining Renay Adams and Anacia Wilkinson at the top of the single-game charts. However, the Tech graduate wasn't done yet as she blocked one more with 11 seconds left to put her in sole possession of the record. The 10 spot puts her at 129 blocks in her career, leapfrogging Tech Sports Hall of Famers Diane Seng (120) and Emily Christian (128) to take fifth place all-time in program history.

The Golden Eagles had 12 total blocks in the contest, which is tied for the second-most in a single game in program history. The record is 13 against Jacksonville State on Feb. 13, 2016, and the performance Saturday ties the Tennessee State game on March 4, 1991, the Morehead State game on Jan. 27, 2016, the Tennessee Wesleyan game on Dec. 29, 2019, and this season's win over North Alabama on Nov. 10.

Walker also had 14 points, five rebounds and three steals to complete her fifth career double-double and third this season – however, it's her first one with points and blocks.

Peyton Carter also scored in double figures as she chipped in 12 points with five rebounds, five steals to tie her career-best and an assist.

Vanessa Shafford led USI with 12 points, while Ali Saunders scored 11.

Tech completes the four-game road trip with a 4-0 record.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 94, SIUE 82
MACOMB, Ill. - The Leatherneck Women's Basketball squad secured a thrilling 94-82 victory over SIUE at Western Hall on Saturday afternoon. The Leathernecks improved their record to 12-9 overall and 6-6 in the OVC, delivering a strong offensive performance in front of 917 fans.

WIU set the tone early, matching SIUE's 23 points in the first quarter. However, the Leathernecks faced some offensive struggles in the second period, managing only 18 points compared to SIUE's 23, trailing 46-41 at halftime. The second half told a different story, as WIU exploded offensively with 25 points in the third quarter and an impressive 28 in the final frame to secure the win.

Raegan McCowan was a standout performer for WIU, leading all scorers with 27 points while adding 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. She was dominant in the paint, going 9-for-18 from the field and knocking down nine free throws. Mia Nicastro was another key contributor, posting a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double while also collecting three steals. Addi Brownfield provided a crucial 15 points, showing efficiency from beyond the arc with two three-pointers.

WIU's balanced attack saw contributions across the roster. Allie Meadows controlled the tempo with seven assists while chipping in nine points. The Leathernecks rebounded the ball well, pulling down 41 total rebounds, including 12 on the offensive glass, which led to crucial second-chance points.

Free-throw shooting was a difference-maker in the contest, with WIU converting 25 of 32 attempts, while SIUE only managed 7 of 12. The Leathernecks also capitalized on their size advantage, outscoring SIUE in the paint 30-22.

Down the stretch, WIU's poise was evident, as they outscored SIUE 28-13 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Leathernecks' defense tightened in the final minutes, limiting SIUE's offensive opportunities while consistently getting to the free-throw line.

The Leathernecks now even their conference record with eight games remaining in the regular season.

LINDENWOOD 57, EASTERN ILLINOIS 55
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood women's basketball (14-7, 10-2 OVC) picked up a crucial 57-55 conference victory Saturday afternoon over the Eastern Illinois Panthers (13-8, 10-2 OVC) in the 2025 Pink Out Game at Hyland Arena. Three Lions reached double-figures as Lindenwood extends their win streak to five games.  

After today's victory, the Lions are now in a three-way tie for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with Tennessee Tech and EIU. LU defeated TTU earlier this season and split the season series with Eastern. The Lions also locked up their spot in the OVC Tournament later this season in Evansville, Ind.

Justis Odom was the leading scorer for the Lions on Saturday as she went 6-13 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line, helping the Lions to 32 points in the paint against the Panthers. Odom also added three assists, three steals, and a pair of rebounds in her 27 minutes on the floor.  

Mya Skoff had 11 points on Saturday, her second straight game with double figures. Skoff went 3-8 from the floor, 1-3 from behind the arc, and was a perfect 4-4 on free throws. She also picked up four assists and four steals against EIU.  

Gracey Wernli posted a 50% field goal percentage for 10 points of her own, her seventh straight game with 10+ points. She also tallied a pair of boards Saturday. Brooke Coffey picked up six points and 10 rebounds against the Panthers and played all but three minutes on Saturday. 

As a team, Lindenwood shot 38.2% from the field, going 21-55 with the majority of their points coming in the paint. The Lions defense held the Panthers to a 33.9% field goal percentage and 31.3% shooting percentage from behind the arc. Lindenwood forced eight turnovers and outscored EIU 32-24 in points in the paint.  

The Lions got the scoring started on Saturday with a 5-0 run from 8:49-7:27 highlighted by a Wernli three-pointer. The OVC's leading rebounder, Macy McGlone, had five early boards, helping the Panthers respond with a 14-0 run at 5:25 and taking a 17-9 lead with 2:23 left in the first. The Lions finally broke the streak with 42 seconds remaining when Coffey scored her fourth point of the frame off a dish from Odom. The Lions found themselves trailing 22-11 when the quarter ended.  

Trailing by 11 heading into the second quarter, Lindenwood quickly trimmed the deficit to seven with a 6-0 run at 8:31. With thirty seconds left in the quarter, Lindenwood found themselves down just two thanks to seven second quarter points from Wernli, the Lions leading scorer at the break with 10. The Lions shot 36% from the floor and 22.2% from deep in the first half but found themselves trailing 30-26 heading into the locker room.  

Odom picked up four quick points to start the third quarter, but buckets from McGlone (the OVC's second leading scorer) made it difficult for the Lions to cut into the Panther lead. McGlone ran into foul trouble midway through the quarter, allowing Odom to rack up four more points and bring the Lions back within three at the media timeout. With 23 seconds remaining in the frame, Lindenwood took their first lead since the first quarter thanks to seven straight points by Skoff. Lindenwood outscored EIU 15-10 in the third quarter and took a 41-40 lead into the fourth.  

Two buckets by McGlone allowed EIU to regain the lead at 8:30, but an Odom layup at the five-minute mark gave her 15 points and the Lions the lead once again. Odom's basket helped Lindenwood to an 8-0 run and extended their lead to 51-46 with 2:54 to play, their largest lead of the afternoon. Makayla Cunningham had six points in the final four minutes against EIU, including a jump shot at 1:27 to put the Lions up 55-50. The Panthers pulled within three with thirty-seconds left, but two free throws by Ellie Brueggemann iced the game and sent the Lions home with a 57-55 OVC victory.

TENNESSEE STATE 70, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 62
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -  Somah Kamara collected 22 points to help lead the Tennessee State women's basketball team over SEMO 70-62 on Saturday.

The Tigers (6-16, 2-10 OVC) had two players score in double figures, led by Kamara, who had 22 points, four assists and two steals. Saniah Parker added 15 points and four assists and Lyric Cole added nine points, eight rebounds and three steals.

Tennessee State utilized excellent ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 19 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, XaiOnna Whitfield lent a helping hand the most for the Tigers with six assists.

Tennessee State's defense held Southeast Missouri State to only 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers also limited Zoe Best to 2-of-12 shooting and seven points in the game.

After jumping out to a 14-11 advantage, Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run with 2:27 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Kamara, to increase its lead to 21-11. The Tigers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 21-13 advantage. Tennessee State capitalized on eight Southeast Missouri State turnovers in the period, turning them into 10 points on the other end of the floor.

Tennessee State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 9:12 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Kamara, to increase its lead to 29-16. The Redhawks cut into that lead, but the Tigers still enjoyed a 36-32 advantage heading into halftime. Tennessee State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 15 points.

Following intermission, Tennessee State continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 44-38 before going on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a three from Xaionna Whitfield, to expand its lead further to 54-38 with 2:44 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Redhawks had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Tigers still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-44 edge. Tennessee State knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 18 total points.

The Tigers then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Tennessee State pulled down two offensive rebounds to score four second chance points out of 16 total in the period.

UT MARTIN  64, LITTLE ROCK 59
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Despite a fourth quarter comeback attempt by Little Rock, the University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team held on for a big OVC road win over the Trojans Saturday, 64-59, at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.

UT Martin led for over 33 minutes of Saturday's contest and were up by as many as 10 in the game. However, the Trojans were able to tie the game on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter, with the last coming at the three-minute mark. Despite the pressure, the Skyhawks were able to buckle down and go 8-for-10 from the free throw line in the final minutes of the game to keep the Trojans at bay and hold on for the five-point win,.

The Skyhawks pounded the paint in the contest, scoring 38 of their 64 points in or around the basket. UT Martin also outrebounded Little Rock in the game, 33-30, moving to 6-1 on the year when it pulls down more boards than its opponents.

Daejah Richmond notched her first career double-double Saturday with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Lexi Rubel was dangerously close to a double-double of her own, as she scored a season-high 11 rebounds to go along with 11 boards. Kenley McCarn led UT Martin in scoring in the game with 17 points, while also adding five rebounds and two steals.