Women’s Basketball Kicks Off Four

Game #8
Lindenwood (4-3, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Alabama A&M (4-3, 0-0 SWAC)
Match Information:
Date: Saturday, Dec. 7th, 2024
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Robert F. Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 1:00 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
The Lindenwood women’s basketball team is back at Hyland Arena to kick off a four-game homestand as they prepare to face Alabama A&M on Saturday, Dec. 7th at 1:00 p.m. CT. Both teams enter this matchup with identical 4-3 records. The Lions won’t play an away game until the second weekend of Ohio Valley Conference action, traveling to Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 2nd.

In their previous contest, Lindenwood faced their first ranked opponent ever, competing against #25 Nebraska on Tuesday. The Lions had a halftime lead in Lincoln at 30-27 but were outscored 42-18 in the second half, marking their third loss of the season. With just two non-conference games left, Lindenwood aims to finish above .500 heading into conference play for the first time since their transition to Division I.

Ellie Brueggemann remains the leading scorer for the Lindenwood Lions this season, averaging 12.4 points in her sophomore year. The Oklahoma native has really showcased her three-point shooting in the last four games, hitting multiple threes in each game. Against Nebraska, Brueggemann sank three triples and led the Lions with nine points.

As they begin this homestand, Lindenwood looks to end a two-game losing streak. Their last victory was against Kansas City, where they won 67-62. Notably, Alabama A&M also defeated Kansas City earlier this season, with a score of 57-52 in Huntsville, Ala. Lindenwood’s next challenge will be against Omaha on Saturday, Dec. 14th.

Player to Watch
Gracy Wernli has also had a solid start to her career at Lindenwood, scoring in double figures in four of her last five games. Wernli is currently third on the team in Field Goal Percentage (minimum 40 attempts) with a shooting percentage of 44.2%.

She set a career high with 16 points during a 67-62 win over Kansas City. Moreover, Wernli ranks among the top free-throw shooters in the OVC, achieving a 21-22 success rate this season. Coming into Saturday’s match, she has made her last 10 free-throw attempts.

OVC Preseason Rankings
The Ohio Valley Conference unveiled its 2024-25 women’s basketball preseason predicted order of finish earlier this offseason. Lindenwood was projected to finish seventh after a 7-21 season last year and a 5-13 record in conference play. 

The Lions secured 81 points in the preseason poll, placing them seventh as the season begins. This is the highest preseason ranking for a Lindenwood women’s basketball team in their three years within the league.

The defending OVC Champions, Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, topped the predicted rankings after receiving 20 out of 22 first-place votes, totaling 200 points. UT Martin followed in second place with 180 points (2 first-place votes), while Eastern Illinois (145) and Tennessee Tech (140) came next. Little Rock completes the top five, followed by Western Illinois, Lindenwood, SIUE, Morehead State, Tennessee State, and SEMO.

The OVC also designated two ‘Players To Watch” from each school heading into the new season. Brueggemann and newcomer Coffey were chosen as Lindenwood’s standout players to monitor for the 2024-25 campaign.

Scouting Alabama A&M
The Bulldogs are under the guidance of first-year head coach Dawn E. Thornton, who previously served as the head coach at Arkansas Pine-Bluff for the last five seasons. Joining her are five transfers from Pine-Bluff, including leading scorer Kalia Walker, averaging 14.4 points per game through seven contests and shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc.

As a team, the Bulldogs average 64.6 points per game while allowing 65.4 points. Opposing teams are shooting 45.4% from the field and 31.7% from three-point territory. Lindenwood will aim to exploit the Bulldogs’ turnovers, as they average 16.3 giveaways per game.

Head Coach: Amy Eagan
Eagan was appointed head coach of the Lindenwood women’s basketball team on March 28, 2023.

In her first year, Eagan’s Lions posted a record of 7-21. Lindenwood was competitive in numerous close games, losing eight by seven points or fewer. The team led the OVC in turnover margin at +3.68. Ellie Brueggemann had a remarkable freshman season, averaging 13.8 points per game, which earned her second team and all-newcomer honors. Makayla Wallace set a new program record for single-season steals with 72, averaging 2.6 steals per game, which tied for the best in the conference and ranked 24th nationally. 
 
Eagan comes to St. Charles, Mo. after three years as the head coach for Drury University’s women’s basketball team. She brings a 14-season collegiate coaching record of 274-151 (.645) and has achieved four consecutive seasons with 23 or more wins. Eagan has guided three different schools to the NCAA Division II tournament, totaling five appearances, plus one appearance in the NAIA tournament. She has won five conference championships over her 14-year coaching career, including three in a row.

Up Next
Lindenwood continues their homestand on Saturday, Nov. 14th as they host the University of Nebraska-Omaha at 1:00 p.m. CT in Hyland Arena. For additional details, please visit lindenwoodlions.com.