Lindenwood women’s basketball (14-7, 10-2 OVC) won a gutsy, defensive battle by a score of 57-55 over the Eastern Illinois Panthers (13-8, 10-2 OVC). The win moves the team into a tie for first place atop the Ohio Valley Conference. The 10 conference wins for the Lions are the most since the 2020-2021 season, prior to their NCAA Division I status change. The win also runs their win streak to five games, and ends a perfect 4-0 homestand.
The win also clinched a spot in the OVC conference tournament, though seeding is still to be determined. It’s a remarkable turnaround of a season after last year, when the Lions went 7-21 and didn’t qualify for the OVC tournament.
Justis Odom led Lindenwood with 15 points, three steals, three assists, and two rebounds. Mya Skoff tallied 11 points, her second consecutive game in double figures, while also picking up four steals and four rebounds. Gracy Wernli was the final scorer in double figures with 11 points, her seventh straight game in double figures.
The Lions jumped out to a hot start in the first quarter quickly leading 7-2 before the Panthers came roaring back and would on a 20-4 run the rest of the quarter as the Lions had no answer for reigning OVC player of the year Macy McGlone who would finish with 21 points. Brooke Coffey would drive for a layup to stop the bleeding but Lindenwood would find themselves down 22-11 headed into the second quarter.
Lindenwood would slowly start chipping away at the Panthers lead in the second as they would outscore them 15-8 in the quarter. A pair of Wernli free throws with 1:04 left would cut the lead to two at 28-26 and would have a chance to take the lead on the ensuing possession but Wernli would miss her three-point attempt. A tip shot for Ellie Colson would give Eastern a 30-26 lead into the break.
Eastern Illinois would run their lead back to seven at 37-30 after a Lalani Ellis layup but disaster would strike the Panthers as McGlone would pick up her fourth foul with 7:12 to play in the third quarter. The Lions would seize the opportunity and go on an 11-3 run to end the quarter capped off by a pair of Skoff free throws as Lindenwood took a 41-40 lead headed into the final quarter of play. Odom and Skoff combined for all 15 of Lindenwood’s points in the quarter as without McGlone on the floor Eastern had no answer for them inside.
Both teams would trade the lead in the fourth quarter, before an Odom layup would put the Lions up 47-46, a lead they would never relinquish. Eastern would get within three points multiple times down the stretch but Lindenwood always had an answer as the Panthers would able to capitalize on the stops they got. Finally, with a little over one second left a pair of Ellie Brueggemann free throws would seal the 57-55 win over the Panthers. Mykayla Cunningham would lead the way with six points in the final quarter, as the Lions defense forced six turnovers and had five steals to clinch the win.
The Lions will be back on the road next week as they travel to UT Martin on Thursday, Feb. 6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. streaming on ESPN+.