In an unforgettable Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball championship game that will go down as one of the most thrilling in recent memory, the Lindenwood women’s basketball team (21-10, 16-4 OVC) came up just short against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (26-5, 18-2 OVC) by the final score of 82-76 in overtime despite a valiant and resilient effort.
It was a game with the highest of highs and lowest of lows. A game that had dramatics, big shots and moments that seemed to defy reality. The crowd was on its feet, riding every wave of emotion, as each team traded blows like heavyweight boxers. It was a game that neither team wanted to lose and did everything they could to win. A game between the seasoned champion and the underdog who everyone had counted out and they continued to prove the doubters wrong again and again. A game that took 45 minutes to decide a winner, and a game that will live in infamy in OVC lore for years to come. A game that sent one team dancing onward and another emotional back to the locker room knowing they’d have to wait another year to try again.
Brooke Coffey led the way for the Lions tallying 20 points and eight rebounds. Gracie Kelsey fell just short of a double-double, after posting nine points and nine rebounds in the loss as Lindenwood out-rebounded Tennessee Tech 45-34 including 19 offensive rebounds.
Ellie Brueggemann scored 19 points and had four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks as the sophomore was honored with an All-OVC first team selection and All-Tournament team.
Justis Odom was the final Lion in double figures with 12 points and two rebounds as she went a perfect 6/6 from the field.
It was a fast start from the Lions who jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead behind a layup from Odom and a deep three from Brueggemann. The Golden Eagles would strike back, as Reghan Grimes led the charge cutting the lead to one at 15-14 after a Grimes free throw. Grimes would finish the game with 23 points. Lindenwood would extend the lead back to five at 19-14 off a pair of Odom jumpers as a free throw from Coffey would give the Lions a 20-16 lead at the end of the first.
The Golden Eagles opened the second on an 8-2 run to take a 24-22 lead, but Gracy Wernli followed that up with a layup to tie the game at 24-24. An 8-0 run of their own by the Lions allowed them to get their largest lead of the game at six after a pair of Mya Skoff free throws made it 32-26. Tennessee Tech would again respond tying it at 32-32 before a Coffey free throw gave the Lions a 33-32 lead into the locker room.
Much like the Lions third quarter of their semifinal game, this third quarter saw the teams put up a combined 49 points as both teams came out scorching hot out of the halftime break. The Lions first went on a 7-2 run to go up 40-33 after a Wernli layup before the Golden Eagles responded and went on a 10-1 run of their own to retake the lead at 44-41 with 5:28 left after a Chloe Larry layup. The Golden Eagles continued to build on their lead going up 51-47 after yet another Grimes layup. Coffey would respond by hitting two clutch three pointers to retake the lead at 53-51 forcing Tennessee Tech to call a timeout. Larry would tie the game back at 55-55 before a pair of Odom and Coffey layups gave Lindenwood the 59-55 lead with 10 minutes left to immortality.
It was a back-and-forth affair in Evansville to start the fourth quarter, as the largest lead either team had was four. Lindenwood maintained their lead much of the quarter fending off the Golden Eagles as much as they could, going blow for blow with them. A Brueggemann layup with 4:05 left grew the Lions lead to four at 68-64 before Larry came down and hit an unbelievable and-one to cut the lead back to one at 68-67. Peyton Carter would tie the game with a free throw before Brueggemann hit yet another tough layup in the lane to retake the lead at 70-68. Both teams would go ice cold from the field the final two minutes of regulation before Reghan Grimes got the ball in the short corner with 25 seconds left and a chance to tie. Grimes went to work backing down her defender before stepping back and hitting a tough fadeaway jumper to tie the game at 70 with 19 seconds left.
Lindenwood had one last shot to tie it and put the ball in the hands of Brueggemann who had six points in the quarter and 10 in the second half. Brueggemann got the ball on the left wing and went to work trying to drive towards the rim as the clock continued to count down. With two seconds left she rose up from the elbow with a hand in her face and let it fly. The ball bounced off the back iron before finding its way into the hands of Coffey who, as the clock expired and the buzzer sounded, put up one last shot. Coffey’s shot hit the backboard and then the rim before falling off the cup to the floor sending this game into overtime.
This was the first OVC championship game to go into overtime since 2018 when the Belmont Bruins took down the UT Martin Skyhawks 63-56.
With both teams visibly gassed and playing off fumes, neither team would find a bucket the first two minutes of overtime before a Grimes free throw gave the Golden Eagles a 71-70 lead. Coffey would respond with a free throw line to regive the Lions the lead at 72-71. Kelsey would give the Lions a 74-73 lead off her own pair of free throws before the Golden Eagles would get a miraculous three point play from Keeley Carter giving them a 76-74 advantage. Coffey would hit a tough layup in the lane tying it at 76 before Carter would come down the floor and with 25 seconds left drive the lane and hit a tough pull up jumper retaking the lead at 78-76. The Lions would call timeout to set up a play but off the inbounds pass a poor entry pass into Kelsey in the paint would be stolen by Carter causing a huge blow to the Lions chances. Carter would once again go perfect from the line and one last ditch three from Brueggemann clanged off the room sealing the Lions fate and giving the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles an 82-76 overtime win and sending them dancing into the NCAA tournament.
The Lions season is not done though as they received an invite to the WNIT with schedules, times and locations to be announced at a later date.
