EVANSVILLE, Tenn. – When Keeley Carter stepped onto the Tennessee Tech campus for the first time as a member of the Golden Eagle women's basketball team, she didn't know what to expect, but she knew one thing:

 

"It was going to be special," she said.

 

She fought back tears during the post-game press conference after being named the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships Most Valuable Player, helping lead Tech to a thrilling 82-76 overtime victory.

 

Carter, who had already put together a storied career at Trevecca Nazarene on the Division II level, finished the game with 21 points as she went 13-for-13 at the free-throw line – the most for her on the Division I level and three short of the OVC tournament single-game record set by UT Martin's Dasia Young in 2021.

 

"I'm just so thankful for the opportunity," Carter said. "Everybody in that locker room is family to me and we're all family to each other. We're just grateful and blessed that God put us in this situation with each other and the opportunity we've had."

 

Carter dominated the overtime session. In the extra five minutes, the Lafayette native outscored Lindenwood herself, scoring nine points with a block and a steal.

 

That steal, coming with 15 seconds remaining and just 10 seconds after Carter sank a pull-up jumper to give the Golden Eagles a 78-76 lead, turned into the deciding factor in the game as Gracie Kelsey tossed it over the basket and Carter was right there to take it back the other way, forcing Ellie Brueggemann to foul the charging Golden Eagle.

 

"I was just trying to give it my all," Carter said. "For this being one of my last games, I knew I was going to give my full 40 – or full 45 in this case. Just reading the play, I knew as soon as she lobbed it over, I was going for it."

 

Carter hit both of the free throws to extend the advantage, then Chloe Larry drained both of hers to put Tech up by six.

 

Lindenwood did not score in the final 46 seconds of the extra session, with Brueggemann missing a 3-pointer and Kelsey a jumper in the paint.

 

However, to get the game to overtime was a feat within itself. Peyton Carter tied the game at 68 with 3:11 to play in regulation, then Brueggemann hit a driving layup at 2:13 to put the Lions back on top. Then neither team could get a bucket to fall. Almost two minutes went by with turnovers and missed shots swapping possessions.

 

But with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Reghan Grimes found the moment. With a turnaround jumper on the wing, Grimes' shot fell true tying the game once more at 70.

 

"I knew," she said. "I was fully confident in myself. I know my team is confident in me to make plays. I really wasn't thinking anything different than any other bucket. Just turn around and sink it."

 

The Lions got two shot attempts off before the final buzzer in the fourth sounded as Brueggeman couldn't connect on a pull-up jumper, then Brooke Coffey's layup was no good, sending the game to the extra session.

 

For their efforts, Grimes and Carter were both named to the OVC All-Tournament team with Carter earning the MVP award.

 

With the strange situation that arose with the semifinal victories, the Golden Eagles already knew they were going to the NCAA Tournament with Lindenwood ineligible per reclassification. However, Tech was not satisfied with that – there aren't banners hanging in the rafters for settling.

 

With the victory, Tech won its 17th straight game and its 11th OVC tournament championship, a nice little addition to its 19th regular-season title. This marks the eighth time the Golden Eagles have won both the regular-season and tournament championships in the same season. Tech will also be making its 12th NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance and the second in three years.

 

It's hard to believe that it's been two months since the Golden Eagles last fell in competition – a 71-40 loss at Eastern Illinois. Since then, it has been a mission to succeed. Tech won its 26th game of the season, tied for the fourth-most wins in a single campaign.

 

Lindenwood (21-10) did not make it easy. The Lions led for 30:40, but there were 12 ties and 13 lead changes. They won the glass battle with 45 rebounds to Tech's 34, including 19 offensive boards for 16 second-chance points. Lindenwood had more assists, more steals and more blocks. They dominated in the paint.

 

But the Golden Eagles had experience. There's something to be said about being in the situation before. The third championship appearance for head coach Kim Rosamond, Tech had been on both sides of the equation. It knew what it felt like to win and what it felt like to lose and the Golden Eagles were not going down with a fight.

 

The biggest mistake for the Lions was just not shutting the door on the Golden Eagles. Every time Lindenwood was able to put together a decent lead, the Golden Eagles clawed back. The Lions led 20-16 after the first quarter and had a six-point lead midway through the second quarter. Tech outscored Lindenwood 16-13 to trail by a single point at the intermission. It was 26-23 Lions in the third, but the Golden Eagles balanced the sheet in the fourth quarter with a 15-11 quadrant.

 

Then the overtime was the difference. While there were still three ties and five lead changes in the extra five minutes, Lindenwood had trouble getting shots to fall as the Lions went 2-for-9 from the field. Tech hit the same amount but was more efficient at 2-for-4 and was 8-for-9 at the free-throw line.

 

Foul trouble could have bit the Golden Eagles hard, losing Anna Walker to her fifth foul before regulation ended, but Amelia Pfeiffer came up huge in her stead and Tech weathered the storm.

 

Grimes ended the game with 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting, while Carter had 21 points. True freshman Chloe Larry had 15 points. Walker, Larry and Grimes all had a team-best six rebounds.

 

Coffey led the Lions with 20 points, while Brueggemann scored 19 and Justis Odom added 12.

 

The Golden Eagles now have a week before they learn their tournament assignment as the NCAA will host its women's tournament selection show next Sunday night. Details on the selection show party will be announced when available.