Ohio Valley Conference

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois junior forward Macy McGlone has been named the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Fellow Panther Kiyley Flowers was selected as the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. Southeast Missouri guard Zoe Best was voted Freshman of the Year while Lindenwood Head Coach Amy Eagan was honored as OVC Coach of the Year in voting by league head coaches and communications directors.
 
McGlone followed last year’s award-winning performance by continuing to be one of the conferences most balanced players. The senior recorded 17 double-doubles, bringing her total to 42 over the past two campaigns, and emphasized the feat by averaging 20.5 points and 20.0 rebounds during the final week of the regular season. McGlone ranks in the top 50 nationally in seven categories, including sixth in defensive rebounds/game (8.3), sixth in rebounds/game (11.6), fifth in rebounds (335), 38th in field goals (200), 30th in blocks/game (2.00), 25th in blocks (58), and 7th in double-double’s. McGlone was the first Panther to ever win OVC Player of the Year and is the 10th player in OVC history to win the award in consecutive seasons.

In her first year, Best proved to be one of the top players in the conference and was the lone freshman to be honored on the All-OVC Team, as a member of the second unit. The Redhawk finished her rookie campaign with 405 points and 148 rebounds, which is seventh and 17th in the conference, respectively. Best averaged 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists/game. She also compiled 37 steals and 10 blocks. The first year shot 36.5 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from the three-point line and posted the fourth best mark in the OVC at 84.1 percent from the free throw line. Best ranks 43rd in the nation in three pointers (70) and 47th in three pointers/game (2.41).
 
Flowers’ defensive prowess has been felt throughout the conference for the last three years. The transfer has led the OVC in steals since the 2022-23 campaign, beginning with two years at Southeast Missouri before moving to EIU. The guard has been a shutdown defender as a Panther and is 18th in the country in steals/game (2.81) and is 27th in steals (73) including an eight steals performance at North Dakota State (11/10) which is tied for 24th best performance this season. The senior completed the regular season averaging 5.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists/game, which is third in the conference. Flowers finished with 74 steals and 16 blocks (17).

In Coach Eagan’s first year at the helm of the Lions, her squad finished 7-21, 5-13 in league play finishing 10th and missing the tournament. The 2024-25 began with Lindenwood selected to finish seventh in the OVC. Eagan’s squad finished the regular season at 20-9, 16-4 in conference play and entered the final game with a chance for a share of the league title and the overall number one seed. The Lions highlighted the year with an 11-game win streak. The honor is the first for Lindenwood as a member of the OVC and marks the third consecutive year the Coach of the Year was awarded to a coach who won their programs first honor.

McGlone and Best were the lone members of their squads to earn a spot on the All-OVC team. Raegan McCowan earned a spot on the first team for the second time and is joined by fellow Leatherneck Mia Nicastro. McCowan led all players with 617 points and a 21.3 points/game average. The two marks rank 11th and ninth in the nation, respectively. Nicastro ranked fourth in the conference in both points/game (14.9) and rebounds/game (7.45). Southern Indiana’s Meredith Raley and UT Martin’s Anaya Brown earned their second straight first team selection. Raley averaged 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds/game and led the conference with a 51.3 field goal percentage. Brown was third in the league averaging 15.4 points/game and fourth with 45 blocks while producing 5.9 rebounds/game. Also selected to the first team is Lindenwood’s Ellie Brueggemann (11.6 ppg, 90.9 free throw percentage), Little Rock’s Faith Lee (14.6 ppg, 38.5 field goal percentage) and Tennessee Tech’s Reghan Grimes (12.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg).

Joining Best on the second squad is a pair of members from regular season champion Golden Eagles. Graduates Peyton Carter (11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Keeley Carter (11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) helped the Golden Eagles claim the number one seed. The Second Team also consists of Lindenwood’s Brooke Coffey (10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), LR’s Jordan Holman (13.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 60 steals), Morehead State’s Katie Novik (13.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 59 steals), USI’s Vaness Shafford (12.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 48 steals) and UTM’s Kenley McCarn (13.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

Best, Coffey, Carter and Nicastro were joined by TTU’s Chloe Larry (11.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.2 apg) on the All-Newcomer team.