ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Lindenwood women's basketball (13-7, 9-2 OVC) gets double-digit performances from Mya Skoff, Justis Odom, and Gracy Wernli as they cruise to a 86-70 win over the SIUE Cougars (4-16, 2-9 OVC) on Thursday evening. The Lions push their win streak to four games and are one game out of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 9-2 record.

Skoff led the Lions with a season and career-high 20 points on Thursday. She shot 7-9 from the field and 4-6 from behind the arc while going 2-3 at the line. Skoff also added a new career-high four assists and two steals against the Cougars. During her career night, she played a team-high 31 minutes of action.

Odom picked up 11 points of her own on Thursday and dished out a team-high six assists (career-high). She finished the game with a field-goal percentage of 62.5% and was a perfect 4-4 from the floor in the first half.  

Wernli tallied double-digit points as well, picking up 10 for the game. After tonight's performance, she now sits second on the team in scoring, trailing only Ellie Brueggemann. Wernli dished out three assists in the win.

As a team, Lindenwood shot 63.6% from the floor, going 35-55 from the field and 8-21 from three including Skoff's four triples. SIUE was held to 42.2% from the floor, making 14 threes but were limited at the foul line only making three triples. The Lions outscored the Cougars 44-20 in points from the paint.  

The Lions began the first quarter shooting 4-4 from the field and jumped out to an early 9-0 lead. Mykayla Cunningham went 2-2 from the floor for five points and a pair of assists. Wernli also went 2-2 from the field and added five points of her own. The Lions controlled the pace for most of the quarter, out-shooting SIUE 69.2% to 23.5% from the floor and led the Cougars 23-10 after one.

Lindenwood extended their led to 18 to start the second quarter, but the momentum switched as the Cougars reeled off a pair of 6-0 runs at 5:02 and 2:54. SIUE trimmed the Lions' lead down to seven with 1:16 to go in the quarter, but Skoff hit a buzzer-beater three with 10 seconds to go extending the Lindenwood lead to 11. Skoff led the Lions with 14 points at the halfway point. Lindenwood once again bested the SIUE in field-goal percentage 69.2% to 64.3% and led 45-34 at the half.  

The third quarter saw early baskets by both sides, but Lindenwood soon gained control of the quarter. Skoff hit a three pointer at 4:32, giving her 17 points; her new career high. Cunningham hit a three pointer of her own with under four minutes left in the third, pushing the Lions lead back to 16. Lindenwood went on a 6-0 run to end the third highlighted by three-pointers from Brueggemann and Skoff. LU went 4-6 from three in third as they headed into the fourth with a 71-48 lead.

SIUE out-scored Lindenwood 22-15 in the final quarter but it was too little too late as the Lions were able to come out of Thursday's game with a win. Mary McGrath added a season-high four points off the bench as Lindenwood was able to run out the clock in Hyland Arena. Lindenwood now sits at 9-2 in conference play after the 86-70 win. Their 86 points marks the most against a Division I team this season and the second most through 20 games.

The Lions return to Hyland Arena on Saturday, Feb. 1st when they face OVC rival, Eastern Illinois who are in first place in the OVC with a 10-1 conference record. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT. For more information, go to lindenwoodlions.com.