ST. CHARLES, MO. — Lindenwood’s women’s basketball team turned a tight contest into a decisive victory Tuesday night, outscoring Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (10-14, 3-11 OVC) 25-10 in the fourth quarter to secure an 82-69 win on Mental Health Awareness Night.
The Lions (18-7, 10-4 OVC) were led by Ellie Brueggemann’s 18 points, including three of five from beyond the arc. Mya Skoff added 17 points and four assists, while Aleshia Jones contributed 13 points, five rebounds and three steals in a well-rounded performance.
“All five of our starters scoring in double figures speaks to the depth we have,” said Lindenwood coach Amy Eagan postgame. “I was proud of our kids in the fourth quarter. Not very happy the first, second, third quarters with our defense, but when we needed to get stops, we were able to get them. That’s what won us the game tonight.”
Brooke Coffey and Gracie Kelsey combined for 23 points in the frontcourt, with Coffey pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
Lindenwood jumped out to an early lead and carried it through the first quarter. Skoff knocked down a three-pointer to give the Lions a 16-10 advantage, followed by Kelsey hitting another long-range shot. The Lions led 21-15 after the opening period, with Kelsey contributing nine points.
SIUE rallied in the second quarter, opening with an 8-0 run to take a 23-21 lead. But the rest of the quarter proved to be back and forth and neither team could pull away from the other. The Lions led 37-36 at halftime.
The Cougars reclaimed a small lead in the third quarter, 46-41, on a pair of key three-pointers. Brueggemann responded with a contested three at the end of the period to cut the deficit to 59-57 heading into the fourth.
The final frame belonged to Lindenwood. Skoff converted an and-one early to take a 60-59 lead, and Brueggemann and Coffey added long-range shots on back-to-back possessions to answer Cougar scores.
After a SIUE layup made it 69-67, an 8-0 run capped by a Valerie Norwood layup put the Lions in front 77-67. Lindenwood finished the quarter on a 13-2 run to close out the victory.
“We locked down defensively in the fourth,” Eagan said. “We were active, and that led a lot to what we were able to do offensively to finish the game. That’s the kind of fight and resilience we’ve been building all season.”
Lindenwood forced 15 turnovers while committing just seven, and the Lions shot 62 percent in the final quarter. The effort helped Lindenwood move into second place in the OVC standings, just one game behind Western Illinois, with six conference games remaining.
Skoff’s assertiveness stood out down the stretch. “Tonight she did a great job reading the defense and taking advantage of what they gave her,” Eagan said. “She got to the rim, forced contact, and took the open shots. Her energy was incredible—she was talking the whole time, keeping everyone positive.”
Norwood and Jones provided crucial contributions despite size disadvantages. “Val can score at all three levels,” Eagan said. “Leash [Aleshia Jones] can do the dirty work, make big plays, and they’ve adapted to help us in tough spots. That grit is invaluable for this team.”
Lindenwood followed up the win with a 92-54 drubbing of Little Rock on the road to close out a 2-0 week.
The Lions will return home to host UT Martin on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 5 p.m., streaming exclusively on ESPN+.
“Our kids have been in big-time games all season,” Eagan said. “They want to win. We have fight in us, and that fourth-quarter mindset is what we want for the whole game. Now, it’s about keeping that consistent.”
