LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Lindenwood women’s basketball team (19-7, 15-2 OVC) secured their tenth consecutive victory with a win against Little Rock (13-13, 11-6 OVC) on the road Thursday night. Head coach Amy Eagan celebrated a milestone achievement with her 300th career victory.
“I’m really proud of our players,” said Eagan following her landmark win. “It’s a tremendous win on the road against a very strong Little Rock team. It may not have been pretty, but great teams know how to find a way to win.”
Brooke Coffey, a four-time Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, led the Lions with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including three 3-pointers, matching her career-high. Coffey contributed five rebounds during her 31 minutes on the court.
Mya Skoff also made her mark by scoring 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting while going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. In addition to her scoring, Skoff recorded five rebounds, two steals, and one block. The Lions’ total of 60 points tonight marked their second-lowest in a winning effort this season (57 points against Eastern Illinois).
Ellie Brueggemann contributed nine points, having attempted only seven shots (3-for-7 FG). Gracy Wernli set a personal best with four assists and added six points to the Lions’ tally. Lindenwood assisted on 10 of their 22 field goals.
Despite starting strong with three three-pointers in the first quarter, the Lions struggled from beyond the arc, finishing with just 5-for-21. Lindenwood shot an efficient 44.0% from the field (22-for-50 FG) and performed well from the free-throw line, going 11-for-14. The Trojans, on the other hand, were limited to 38.6% shooting from the floor and attempted only seven three-pointers (2-for-7).
The first quarter was fiercely competitive, featuring two lead changes and three ties. Little Rock took a slight edge with their largest lead of five points, concluding the first quarter with a 15-13 advantage. LU shot 5-for-15 from the field, with Coffey standing out with eight points.
The Lions opened the second quarter with five points, reclaiming the lead at 18-15 thanks to Coffey’s third three-pointer. They stretched their lead to as much as seven points, going into halftime with a score of 32-26.
Both teams demonstrated solid shooting, just above 40.0% in the first half, with Little Rock scoring all their points inside the arc. Coffey led all scorers at halftime with 11 points, although the Trojans outscored Lindenwood 22-10 points in the paint during the first half.
With 6:49 left in the third quarter, Little Rock managed to tie the game at 34-34 after a layup from Faith Lee. In response, Lindenwood surged ahead with a 4-0 run, yet Little Rock continued to fight, ending the third quarter with a slight lead of 41-38.
Little Rock tied the game again at 43-43 with 8:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Lindenwood’s offense remained composed, extending their lead to six points with less than two minutes to go. Brueggemann sealed the win with a crucial three-pointer, guiding the Lions to a 60-51 victory. In the fourth quarter, Lindenwood outperformed their opponents, scoring 19 points to Little Rock’s 13 while shooting 53.8% from the field.
With this victory, Lindenwood has now achieved ten consecutive wins, marking the longest active winning streak in the program’s history. They remain in a tie for first place in the conference, now boasting 15 conference wins, the highest number recorded in the NCAA era.
The Lions will continue their road trip on Saturday, February 22nd, at Southeast Missouri State at 1:30 PM CT in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. For more details, please visit lindenwoodlions.com.
