Lindenwood women’s basketball team (9-6, 5-1 OVC) improved their winning streak to three games, with a 79-73 over the UT Martin Skyhawks (6-11, 3-3 OVC).
Brooke Coffey led the way for the Lions with her second straight double-double, scoring 17 points, hauling in 11 rebounds, and dishing out five assists. Ellie Brueggemann continued her nice play adding 16 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Brueggemann shot 4/7 downtown and the Lions as a team shot 10/24 from three, their most made threes in a game this season. Justis Odom and Gracy Wernli also scored in double figures, with Odom finishing with 13 points and four rebounds and Wernli scoring 10. Gracie Kelsey led the bench attack for Lindenwood scoring seven of the 15 bench points and grabbing six rebounds while Mykayla Cunningham chipped in with five points and six assists. The Skyhawks did outscore the Lions in the paint 40-24, but Lindenwood grabbed more offensive rebounds (eight) that led to 13 second-chance points compared to just seven by the Skyhawks.
Lindenwood jumped out to a quick 15-6 lead in the first and started hot shooting 6/10 to start from the field. An Odom layup with 1:35 left would extend the lead to 19-10 before UT Martin went on an 8-2 run to end the quarter and only trailed 21-18 heading into the second. Odom led the way for the Lions scoring six of her 13 points in the first quarter.
The Skyhawks would cut the lead to one early in the second quarter three times before with the score 24-23 Lindenwood would go on an 8-0 run capped off by a Coffey jumper with 4:56 to go to put the Lions up 32-23. The Skyhawks would go on a 6-0 run of their own feeding off several baskets from Norah Clark to cut the lead to within three at 32-29. A three-pointer from Aalayah Wilson would put the Lions back up six and Lindenwood would lead 38-34 headed into the halftime break as a free throw from Mya Skoff and a layup from Coffey would close out the first half of action for the Lions.
Lindenwood blew the game open in the third quarter outsourcing UT Martin in the quarter 23-11 including a 18-6 run late in the quarter capped off by a Brueggemann three, her second. The defense stepped up for the Lions holding the Skyhawks to 23.5% from the field and 1/6 from deep in the period. The Lions held Skyhawks leading scorers Norah Clark and Shae Littleford to a combined two points in the third quarter and had a commanding 61-45 lead entering the final quarter of play following a pair of free throws from Kelsey.
In the fourth quarter, UT Martin did everything in their power to try and overcome the seemingly insurmountable 16-point lead as they ramped up their defensive pressure forcing seven Lions turnovers in the quarter helping to cut the lead back to single digits with 1:28 to play after a Cunningham turnover and a three on the end by Kenley McCarn. Lindenwood would be able to close out the win as over the final 1:18 the Lions would go 7/10 from the foul line and hold the Skyhawks without a three-pointer as the Lions finished out a 79-73 win and improved to 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference play placing them second in the conference only behind Eastern Illinois.
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 5 p.m. as they head out east to play the University of Southern Indiana streaming on ESPN+.
