COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Lindenwood Lions defeated the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 70-57 in an Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Eblen Center. Lindenwood used a dominant second quarter, outscoring Tennessee Tech 23-7, to build a 38-26 halftime lead and never trailed thereafter. The Lions improved to 22-7 overall, while the Golden Eagles fell to 14-12. Aleshia Jones led all scorers with 18 points for Lindenwood. Ellie Brueggemann added 13 points and four assists. Chloe Larry scored 15 points for Tennessee Tech, and LaReesha Cawthorn grabbed 10 rebounds. Lindenwood shot 54.9% from the floor and held Tennessee Tech to 34.5% shooting. Attendance was 986.

ALGOOD, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Lindenwood Lions used a dominant second-quarter surge to seize control and never looked back, defeating the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 70-57 in an Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Eblen Center. A crowd of 986 watched as the visiting Lions, now 22-7 overall, avenged a narrow loss to Tennessee Tech earlier in the season and solidified their position near the top of the conference standings. The Golden Eagles fell to 14-12. The game’s decisive stretch came in the second period. After a competitive first quarter that saw Tennessee Tech hold a 19-15 lead, the Lindenwood defense clamped down with suffocating intensity. The Lions outscored the Golden Eagles 23-7 in the frame, turning the four-point deficit into a 38-26 halftime advantage. Tennessee Tech struggled profoundly against the Lindenwood defensive pressure, committing a series of turnovers and shooting just 3 of 13 from the field in the quarter. The Lions, meanwhile, found their offensive rhythm, shooting 64% from the floor during the period. The 16-point swing established a cushion that Tennessee Tech could not overcome, as the Golden Eagles never got closer than nine points in the second half. Lindenwood guard Aleshia Jones, a 5-foot-7 sophomore from Leavenworth, Kansas, led all scorers with 18 points, adding three rebounds and two assists. Her backcourt partner, Ellie Brueggemann of Owasso, Oklahoma, provided a crucial all-around performance with 13 points, four assists and three blocks, including two key rejections on three-point attempts. The Lions’ interior presence was anchored by Gracie Kelsey of Agency, Missouri, who scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Brooke Coffey of St. Charles, Missouri, who also added 13 points and seven boards. For Tennessee Tech, Chloe Larry of Bossier City, Louisiana, led the way with 15 points and five rebounds. Reagan Hurst of Baxter, Tennessee, contributed 13 points, and Amaya Redd of Knoxville, Tennessee, finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. LaReesha Cawthorn of Franklin, Kentucky, was a force on the glass with 10 rebounds and eight points. Statistically, the game was defined by Lindenwood’s superior efficiency. The Lions shot 54.9% from the field on 28-of-51 shooting, while holding Tennessee Tech to just 34.5% on 20 of 58. Though the Golden Eagles won the turnover battle slightly, forcing 20 while committing 19, and had more steals and assists, they could not capitalize on those extra opportunities, hampered by their poor shooting. Lindenwood also dominated points in the paint, 34-24, and made the most of its free throws, converting 11 of 13. Tennessee Tech went 11 of 18 from the line. The Lions maintained their double-digit lead throughout the second half. Tennessee Tech made a minor push late in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 11, but a quick 5-0 response from Lindenwood, capped by a Brueggemann jumper, pushed the margin back to 16. The Golden Eagles never mounted a sustained threat in the final period. With the victory, Lindenwood completed a regular-season series split with Tennessee Tech, having lost the previous meeting 73-70 on Jan. 17. The Lions have now won four of their last five games. Tennessee Tech has dropped three of its last four. Lindenwood next travels to face Western Illinois on Thursday. Tennessee Tech will hit the road for its next contest, also on Thursday, at Tennessee-Martin.

Preview: Lindenwood Lions at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles ALGOOD, Tenn. (Interstat) — A surging Lindenwood women’s basketball team will look to solidify its position near the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings when it visits Tennessee Tech on Saturday. The Lions (21-7, 13-2 OVC) enter Eblen Center riding a five-game winning streak, most recently a 75-70 road victory at Tennessee State on Thursday. Guard Brooke Coffey, a consistent catalyst, scored 15 points in that win. Over her last eight games, Coffey is averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists, including a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double against Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 14. Lindenwood won the season’s first meeting against Tennessee Tech, 66-55, on Jan. 22. The Golden Eagles (14-11, 8-7) aim to halt their recent slide and avenge that loss. They have dropped two straight, including a 76-60 home loss to SIU Edwardsville on Thursday. Tennessee Tech will lean on forward LaReesha Cawthorn, who scored 19 points in that defeat. Cawthorn has been a force inside, highlighted by a historic 27-point, 27-rebound performance in an overtime win against Eastern Illinois on Feb. 7. The matchup pits Lindenwood’s high-powered offense, which has scored 75 or more points in four of its last five games, against a Tennessee Tech defense that has allowed 76 points in consecutive losses. The Lions’ conference record is second-best in the OVC, while the Golden Eagles are in the middle of the pack. Tennessee Tech will need to contain Coffey and find consistent scoring beyond Cawthorn to defend its home court. Lindenwood seeks a season sweep to maintain momentum before a quick turnaround to face Western Illinois next Thursday. Tip-off is set for Saturday afternoon.