Lindenwood Lions’ WBB Near Top of OVC Standings with Win Over Tennessee State

Game Summary

ST. CHARLES, Mo – The Lindenwood Lions women’s basketball team picked up their fourth Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) win over the Tennessee State Tigers on Thursday night in Hyland Arena by a score of 68-54. Lindenwood improved their conference record to 4-1 and 8-6 overall, currently in a four-way tie for second place in the OVC.

The contest was marked by poor ball-handling by both teams, contributing to 24 turnovers by the Lions and 20 from the Tigers. Tennessee State, notably, picked up a whopping 17 steals, 7 of which were recorded by senior Saniah Parker (6-20 FG, 3-14 3PT), who also chipped in 17 points, leading the team in scoring. Aaniya Webb also stole the ball five times and contributed 15 points for the Tigers (5-12 FG, 1-3 3PT), converting all four of her free throws. Angel Hill was the lone bench play for the Tigers in double figures, knocking down 2 three-pointers and 4 free throws.

Compared to Tennessee State, Lindenwood’s offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting 47.8% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. Ellie Brueggemann led the Lions in scoring, knocking down 4 shots behind the arc and led the team in scoring at 15 points. Brooke Coffey filled the stat sheet with a double-double in the match, adding 10 points and an impressive 11 rebounds.

First Half

Lindenwood set the tone early with strong shooting, including 61.5% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Ellie Brueggemann totaled 8 early points, including 2 three-pointers. Tennessee State managed 12 points, led by Saniah Parker's three-pointer, but trailed 23-12 at the end of the first quarter. Both teams struggled to score throughout the majority of the second quarter, Tennessee State only converted 2 of their 18 field goal attempts in the form of three-pointer, while the Lions managed to shoot 4 for 12 on field goals and add 5 free throws, extending their lead to 19 at half, up 37-18.

Second Half

Tennessee State increased their aggression by making a small charge in the third quarter, cutting Lindenwood’s lead down to 11 with 3:16 left in the third quarter, but this run was short-lived as the Lions went on a small run of their own to increase their lead to 16 at the end of the quarter. Most of Tennessee State’s points came in the form of free throws, making 11 of 14 from the stripe. After a 14-6 run by the Lions to stretch the lead to 24, Tennessee State tried adding some more defensive pressure in the form of a full-court press, but ultimately their efforts were too late as the Lions secured a victory by a margin of 14 points.

Lindenwood’s next game is against the UT Martin Skyhawks (6-10, 3-2 OVC) on Saturday, January 11 at Hyland Arena. UT Martin is on a two-game win streak and 5-2 in the last seven games, defeating both SEMO and Western Illinois University by double digits last week. Tennessee State, on the other hand, will hope to pick up their first conference win, as the Tigers face Western Illinois University’s home crowd on Saturday (7-7, 1-4 OVC).

To view the other photos I took at this game, head to my gallery.