Game #4
Lindenwood (2-1, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Evansville (2-1, 0-0 MVC)
Match Information:
Date: Monday, Nov. 18, 2024
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Robert F. Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 0-1
Last Meeting: L, 68-70
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
The Lindenwood women's basketball team will close out their three-game home stand to start the season by hosting the University of Evansville Aces on Monday for a showdown in Hyland Arena. The Lions are out to a hot start at home with a 2-0 record during their first two games.

This marks the second Missouri Valley Conference opponent the Lions will face in the past week as LU took down the Bradley Braves last week by a final score of 64-56. Last season, the Lions lost a heart-breaker in Evansville after being up 16 points. The Aces battled back eventually taking the lead with two minutes remaining in the fourth.

Lindenwood is coming off a dominant win against Harris-Stowe for education day last Friday with a 87-61 final score. The Lions had four double-digit scorers including a team-high 13 points from Ellie Brueggemann and Gracy Wernli.

Evansville is coached by Robyn Scherr who enters her second season as the Aces head coach. Scherr coached the Aces to a 4-28 record in 2023-24 with a 2-18 record in the Missouri Valley. The Aces are off to a good start this season with a 2-1 record including a 70-55 win over Ohio Valley Conference opponent SEMO last Thursday.

Player to Watch
Gracy Wernli scored a season-high 13 points against Harris-Stowe last Friday. It tied her career-high while at Abilene Christian. She shot 3-7 from the floor while going 6-6 from the foul line. Wernli leads the Ohio Valley Conference in foul-shooting with a perfect 10-10 at the line.

Through three-games, Wernli is averaging 9.0 points while adding 2.3 rebounds. The sophomore has started all three games for the Lions and is averaging 26.0 minutes per game.

OVC Preseason Rankings
The Ohio Valley Conference released their 2024-25 women's basketball preseason predicted order of finish earlier this off-season. Lindenwood was selected to finish seventh after going 7-21 a season ago and 5-13 in conference. 

Lindenwood received 81 points in the preseason poll which put them in seventh heading into the season. This marks the highest ranking for a Lindenwood women's basketball team in their three seasons in the league.

The defending OVC Champions Southern Indiana Screaming Eagle were selected to win the OVC after receiving 20 of the 22 first-place votes for a total of 200 points. UT Martin finished in second (180 points, 2 first-place votes) followed by Eastern Illinois (145) and Tennessee Tech (140). Little Rock rounds out the top five followed by Western Illinois, Lindenwood, SIUE, Morehead State, Tennessee State and SEMO.

The Ohio Valley Conference also selected two 'Players To Watch" from each OVC school to start the upcoming season. Brueggemann and newcomer Coffey were tabbed as Lindenwood's players to watch for the 2024-25 season.

Scouting Evansville
The Aces are averaging 70.3 points per game this season while shooting 37.4% from the floor. Evansville shoots better from three-point range shooting 40.4% while averaging six threes a night.

Maggie Hartwig had a double-double against the Redhawks of SEMO posting 17-points and 20-rebounds. She shot 4-14 from the floor while going 7-8 from the foul line in a 70-55 win. Camryn Runner also added 20 points including 15 from the foul line.

Head Coach: Amy Eagan
Eagan was named head coach of the Lindenwood women's basketball program on March 28, 2023.

In year one under Eagan, the Lions posted a 7-21 record. Lindenwood found itself in many close games, dropping eight contests by seven points or less. The black and gold led the OVC in turnover margin at +3.68. Ellie Brueggemann had an outstanding freshman campaign, averaging 13.8 points per game, which led to second team and all newcomer selections. Makayla Wallace set a new single season program record for steals with 72. She averaged 2.6 steals per game last season, tied for tops in the conference. It also ranked 24th nationally. 
 
Eagan arrives in St. Charles, Mo. after spending three seasons as the head coach of Drury University women's basketball.  Eagan completed her 14th season as a collegiate head coach, as she had stops at Truman State, Ashford, and St. Ambrose.
 
Eagan brings a career mark of 274-151 (.645) to Lindenwood, including four-straight seasons of 23 or more wins.  Eagan has led three schools to the NCAA Division II tournament for a total of five appearances, as well as one NAIA tournament appearance.  Eagan had claimed five conference titles in her 14 years, including three-straight.

Up Next
Lindenwood starts a three-game road trip starting on Friday, Nov. 22 at Kansas City at 7:00 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.