Tech women hit the road to take on Lindenwood Thursday
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The last time Tennessee Tech faced Lindenwood, the game ended with the Golden Eagle women raising the Ohio Valley Conference championship trophy. There’s no doubt that the host Lions remember that moment well as Tech heads to Hyland Arena on Thursday to take on Lindenwood.
GAME NOTES | Game 18 -- at Lindenwood | PDF
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The last time Tennessee Tech faced Lindenwood, the game ended with the Golden Eagle women raising the Ohio Valley Conference championship trophy.
There's no doubt that the host Lions remember that moment well as Tech heads to Hyland Arena on Thursday to take on Lindenwood.
Tipoff Thursday is set for 5 PM. Dylan Vazzano and Frank Harrell will call the game on 106.1 The Eagle, while Zach Zook and Missy Heidrick will be the talent on ESPN+ (subscription required).
It was a big day back on March 3 of last year as the Golden Eagles prevailed in overtime of the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championship at Evansville's Ford Center. Tech emerged victorious, outscoring the Lions 12-6 in the extra session.
Reghan Grimes led Tech in scoring with 23 points, while Keeley Carter had 21 – including a 13-for-13 effort at the line. After Ellie Brueggemann knocked down a go-ahead layup with 2:13 remaining in regulation, Grimes tied the game with a turnaround jumper with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock.
Carter then controlled the narrative in overtime, scoring nine of Tech's 12 points in the overtime period.
However, a lot has changed since the Golden Eagles raised the OVC trophy that day. Of the eight players that saw action in that game for Tech, just three – Grimes, Chloe Larry and Amelia Pfeiffer – are back for the 2025-26 roster. Lindenwood returns seven of its 10, including Brueggemann, who scored 19, and Brooke Coffey, who chipped in 20 points and eight boards.
Lindenwood, the preseason favorite in the OVC, currently stands in a four-way tie for third with a 5-3 record in the conference and 13-6 overall. They share their current seating with UT Martin, Morehead State and Little Rock. Western Illinois and Southern Indiana – both at 7-1 – currently lead the standings.
Tech enters Thursday's game with a 10-7 overall record and 3-5 record in league play, detoured by a five-game slide in January. However, the losses have been close with just four points standing between the Golden Eagles and a 6-2 record in OVC play. Outside of the Little Rock and Western Illinois contests, the games have been as close as can be.
There's definitely no cause for panic yet as 12 games remain on the conference slate with the midpoint coming after Saturday's contests.
Lindenwood is averaging 73.4 points of offense per game, the second-highest average after Western Illinois' 79.1. The Lions are allowing 60.8 points on defense, the fifth fewest in the league. In contrast, Tech is averaging 68.0 points on offense, which ranks fourth, and 63.1 on defense, seventh overall.
Aleshia Jones leads the team in scoring with a 14.0-point average, with Brueggemann hitting a 13.4-point clip as well as team-highs in assists (60) and blocks (8). Coffey is averaging 12.9 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game.
The Lions are shooting .468 from the field – the top percentage in the league – while hitting .382 from long range and .733 at the line. Lindenwood averages 8.1 3-pointers and 11.4 free throws.
Despite the skid, Tech is still putting up solid numbers with Grimes leading the way on scoring with a 14.2-point average and 6.2 rebounds per game, while leading the team in assists with 47. Chloe Larry is averaging 13.1 points per game and Reagan Hurst is averaging 11.7 points. Cam Mathews is just under the double-digit mark with a 9.8-point average.
LaReesha Cawthorn, who was named the league's Newcomer of the Week, is averaging 8.2 points and a team-best 9.4 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in blocks (23) and steals (29).
As a team, Tech is shooting .378, .336 from 3-point range and .698 at the free-throw line as the Golden Eagles are averaging 7.1 3-pointers and 15.1 free throws a game.
Following Thursday's game, Tech travels to SIUE on Saturday and Tennessee State on Tuesday before returning to the Eblen Center on Jan. 31 against Little Rock.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
