EVANSVILLE IN.- For the second straight season, the Lindenwood Lions women’s basketball walked off the court at the Ford Center one win short of an Ohio Valley Conference title.

This time it came at the hands of the Western Illinois Leathernecks, who built an early lead and held off a furious second-half comeback to defeat Lindenwood 71–65 in the OVC championship game Saturday afternoon.

One year after falling in overtime to Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles women’s basketball in the 2025 championship, the Lions (25–8, 16–4 OVC) again found themselves battling from behind on the league’s biggest stage — and again came up just short.

“It’s a tough situation when you’re in a championship game and you’re down at half,” Lindenwood coach Amy Eagan said. “But I was really proud of our kids. They went back out there, refocused, and gave ourselves a chance.”

Western Illinois (26–5, 16–4 OVC) set the tone early, opening the game on a 15–6 run and shooting 75 percent from the field in the first quarter. The Leathernecks led 20–11 after one quarter and stretched the margin to 36–22 at halftime.

“Congratulations to Western Illinois,” Eagan said. “They punched us in the mouth from the beginning and they never let up. We made some really good runs at them, but they answered every single time.”

Brueggemann leads second-half push

Ellie Brueggemann carried Lindenwood offensively with 21 points, tying her career high with seven 3-pointers on a career-high 15 attempts from beyond the arc.

Aleshia Jones added 18 points and six rebounds, while Gracie Kelsey chipped in 14 points, including a 7-for-9 performance from the free-throw line.

The Lions began their comeback immediately after halftime. Jones opened the third quarter with a steal and fast-break layup, and Brueggemann followed with a 3-pointer to quickly trim the deficit to single digits.

“I thought in the second half we did a much better job dialing in defensively,” Eagan said. “We got better ball pressure, helped in the gaps and around the rim, and we started attacking the basket off ball screens.”

Lindenwood closed the gap to 54–50 entering the fourth quarter and continued to push.

Jones drove for a layup with 5:31 remaining to cut the deficit to 59–58 — the closest the Lions would come all afternoon. Moments later, Lindenwood had a chance to take its first lead of the game, but a step-back jumper by Jones rimmed out.

Western Illinois responded with an 8–1 run to regain control, sparked by baskets from Mallory Shetley and Mia Nicastro.

Brueggemann drained two late 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds to keep hope alive, but the Leathernecks sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Offensive struggles prove costly

While Lindenwood’s stars produced, the Lions struggled to find consistent scoring elsewhere.

Brooke Coffey shot just 1-for-9 from the field, and Mya Skoff went 0-for-4. The duo combined for only four points in 73 minutes of action, making it difficult for the Lions to fully erase the early deficit.

Western Illinois finished the game shooting 55.3 percent from the field and controlled the glass 38–22.

Jones leaves lasting impact

Despite the loss, both Brueggemann and Jones were named to the OVC All-Tournament Team after standout performances throughout the week. Brueggemann averaged 21.5 points in two tournament games, while Jones averaged 19.5.

Eagan said Jones’ impact on the program extended far beyond the stat sheet.

“For a kid that’s a one-year kid to come in and pour so much into your program, you don’t find that very often,” Eagan said. “From the very beginning she just wanted to win and help us win. It was evident every single day.”

Jones said the season and her time at Lindenwood will stay with her.

“I’m very thankful for this program and the community around it,” Jones said. “They broke me in, showed me the ropes, and I was able to connect with everyone on a different level. I’ll carry this experience with me.”

Looking ahead

Even in defeat, the future remains bright for Lindenwood.

The Lions are expected to return nearly their entire roster next season, including Brueggemann, Kelsey, Skoff and Coffey, with Jones the lone senior departure.

Eagan believes the sting of back-to-back championship losses will fuel the program moving forward.

“Losing is easy. Winning is hard,” Eagan said. “But sustained winning is really, really hard. Our kids have changed the culture here, and I have no doubt they’re not going to settle for being back here and coming up short again.”