COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — It was a fitting day to celebrate Tennessee Tech's senior class as the Golden Eagle women used their veterans to great effect, getting a little bit of revenge for an early-season loss at Lindenwood as they beat the Lions 77-59 at the Eblen Center.
Tech claimed the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball regular-season championship outright with the win, confirming the Golden Eagles' 19th OVC regular-season title in program history and first since 2012-13.
With the win, Tech (24-5, 18-2 OVC) earns the top seed to next week's Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships at the Ford Center in Evansville. With the double-bye, the Golden Eagles will await either Southern Indiana, Tennessee State or Little Rock in the semifinals on Friday.
Tech won its 18th OVC game in the regular-season finale — the most-ever in a single season in program history and tied with the 2017-18 Belmont team for the most in OVC history. The Golden Eagles also won their 15th straight game and 18th straight at home since February 2024. The 24 overall wins is tied for the seventh most in program history with 28 standing as the team's best in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
All four of the senior players honored in the game scored in double figures as Keeley Carter led the Golden Eagles with 19 points, while Anna Walker had 10, Taris Thornton 12 and Peyton Carter with 10. Ellie Brueggemann and Gracie Kelsey led Lindenwood with 12 points each.
The game was controlled from the Golden Eagles nearly from the start. Lindenwood held a two-point lead at its peak and controlled the advantage for 53 seconds. The Golden Eagles surged out to a 19-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter and hardly had to look back. Lindenwood inched back within six before halftime, but the second half saw Tech storm out to a 13-2 run in the first three minutes and outscore the Lions 20-11 in the period.
The Lions could only get back to a 15-point deficit as Walker scored eight points on 3-for-3 shooting and 2-for-2 from 3-point range to allow Tech to edge the Lions 21-20 in the fourth and hold off any late rally.
Tech knocked down eight 3-pointers in the contest, including four from Walker on five tries. Walker was also 6-for-8 from the field, while pulling down a team-best eight rebounds. The Golden Eagles were also 21-for-27 from the stripe as Thornton and Keeley Carter both went 6-for-8. Payton Carter also dished out six assists, while Thornton had seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and four steals.
Now the Golden Eagles are looking for their 11th OVC tournament title, joining the one head coach Kim Rosamond's won in the 2022-23 season. The postseason event begins Wednesday in Evansville.
Tickets for the OVC Basketball Championships are on sale now through the Eblen Center ticket office and the Ford Center box office.
Photo | Jim Dillon
