ST. CHARLES MO.- Lindenwood didn’t need overtime this time.
Nearly 11 months after watching Tennessee Tech celebrate an Ohio Valley Conference championship at its expense, the Lindenwood women’s basketball team (15-6, 7-3 OVC) delivered a decisive response Thursday night, riding a dominant fourth quarter to a 66-55 victory over the Golden Eagles.
The Lions erased memories of that 322-day wait behind a career night from Aleshia “The Closer” Jones, who poured in 32 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, to lift Lindenwood past the defending tournament champions.
“I thought in the fourth quarter, we just kind of took off,” Lindenwood coach Amy Eagan said. “We were led by Aleshia Jones. She really brought that energy, hit some big buckets, and then we really just took off from there.”
Jones, who wasn’t on the roster for last season’s title game loss, narrowly missed her career high of 34. The Division II transfer from Saginaw Valley State shot 8 of 18 from the field, knocked down five 3-pointers and went 11 of 12 at the free-throw line to seal the win.
“Aleshia handles hard really well,” Eagan said. “You can coach her, she’s a competitor, and she competes every single day. We’re lucky to have her, and she just keeps getting better.”
Brooke Coffey added her sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Gracie Kelsey chipped in 10 points in 20 minutes, going a perfect 6 for 6 from the line.
“Gracie does so many good things for us,” Eagan said. “She fits our system really well, and she made big plays down the stretch.”
Lindenwood opened the game on a 6-0 run, but Tennessee Tech (10-9, 3-7 OVC) answered with an 11-0 burst to take a 15-13 lead after one quarter. The Golden Eagles pushed the margin to seven early in the second before Jones sparked a momentum-shifting run.
Jones scored 12 straight points during a 16-2 Lindenwood surge, flipping the game and helping the Lions take a 32-26 lead into halftime.
“We just kept talking about mentality,” Eagan said. “When shots aren’t falling, how are we going to stay in the game? We know eventually it’s going to fall for us because we’re a good offensive team.”
In that span she hit five free throws, knocked down a three and drove to the hoop on a couple of occasions and while the basket seemed to have a lid on it for the other nine players on the court the rim seemed twice as big for Jones.
Ellie Brueggemann put Lindenwood ahead 36-29 midway through the third quarter with a jumper and finished with a career-high eight assists, though the Lions’ shooting cooled as Tennessee Tech closed the period strong to tie the game at 40-40. Jones was held scoreless in the quarter as the Golden Eagles adjusted defensively.
“I thought they made good adjustments,” Lindenwood coach Amy Eagan said. “But I was proud of our kids for staying locked in mentally and continuing to grind.”
Lindenwood opened the final quarter by hitting four of its first five shots from beyond the arc, building separation up to a 54-49 lead. But, the Golden Eagles would just not go away led by Hurst and LaReesha Cawthorn, who ended the game with 11, kept pace for the Golden Eagles.
Jones and Kelsey finished strong however, relentlessly attacking the paint and drawing fouls. The pair were a perfect 12 for 12 from the free-throw line over the final three minutes and clamped down defensively, holding Tennessee Tech to 1-for-6 shooting in the final 2:30.
“We really, really dialed in defensively,” Eagan said. “Our help, our activity, being in the gaps — that was huge. Forcing 20 turnovers is probably a season high for us, and that made a big difference.”
Lindenwood finished 20 of 21 at the free-throw line and scored 26 points off Tennessee Tech’s 20 turnovers. The Lions also limited Golden Eagles leading scorer Reghan Grimes to eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.
“We talked a lot about free throws and getting to the line,” Eagan said. “Our kids really took that to heart, and I thought it showed late.”
“It was a complete team effort,” Eagan added. “Everybody brought something to the table.
Lindenwood stayed home Saturday and rolled past Tennessee State 91-58 before hitting the road for a pair of conference games. The Lions face Southern Indiana on Jan. 29 and Morehead State on Jan. 31, with both games streaming on ESPN+.
