Game #25
Lindenwood (17-7, 13-2 OVC)
vs. Southern Indiana (18-8, 10-5 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15th, 2025
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Robert F. Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 11:00 a.m. CT
All-Time Series: 0-9
Last Meeting: L, 66-70
Live Stats: Stats
ESPNU: Watch

Matchup
Lindenwood women's basketball will play their final game inside Hyland Arena on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CT against Southern Indiana and will be live on ESPNU. The Lions' 12 wins at home this season mark the most by any Ohio Valley Conference team this season. LU and Tennessee Tech are still tied for the OVC lead with USI sitting in fifth place with a 10-5 conference record.

It was a team-effort win to get to their eight straight win on Thursday after the Lions defeated Morehead State by a final score of 68-61. Mya Skoff tied her career-high in points with 20 after shooting 7-13 from the floor including three triples. Justis Odom was one rebound shy of a double-double (11 pts, 9 rebs) and Brooke Coffey also added 11 points to keep the win streak alive. With their eighth straight victory, this marks the longest win streak for the Lions in the NCAA era, and the longest since the 2018-19 season when they had seven in a row. Eight wins in a row is the 24th longest active streak in the country. Only Tennessee Tech (10 games) has a longer  active streak in the OVC.

Head coach Amy Eagan moves to career win 298 after Thursday's victory, just two wins away from her 300th. Eagan has led the Lions to a 17-7 record during the 2024-25 season, their most wins since the 2019-20 season. She has coached a trio of scorers who are averaging over 10 points, including this past week's OVC Newcomer of the Week Coffey.

Through 24 games this season, Lindenwood is averaging 68.5 points per game and have scored over 65 points 17 times this season, but have found other ways to win in recent weeks. The three-point shot has found its rhythm during OVC play as the Lions rank second in the OVC in three-point shooting with a 36.2%. 

Southern Indiana is coached by Rick Stein who enters his 26th season at the helm of the Screaming Eagles. Last season, Stein led USI to an OVC Regular and Tournament Championship.

Player to Watch
Mya Skoff is coming off her second 20-point scoring effort of the season in a 68-61 victory over Morehead State this past Thursday. Skoff is the Lions' leading scorer in OVC play averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 47.3% from the field, 36.8% from three and 83.3% from the foul line. She has scored in double-digits in five straight games and in seven of her last eight.

Over the course of her last five games, Skoff has averaged 16.4 ppg while shooting 58.7% from the floor. Skoff has brought her season total of points scored per game to 9.8 and averages 2.9 rebounds a night.

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 Southern Indiana
The leading offense in the OVC, Southern Indiana has averaged 71.8 points per game this season while holding teams to 62.6 a night which ranks the third lowest in the conference. Their 9.2 scoring margin also leads the league.

Meredith Raley leads a group after playing and starting in all 26 games this season. She averages 13.9 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds. Vanessa Shafford in active on both ends of the floor averaging 12.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg and has a total of 43 steals this season.

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 the final stretch of OVC play next week as they head out on the road to Little Rock, Ark. to take on the Trojans on Thursday, Feb. 20th at 5:00 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.