EVANSVILLE, Ind. — In a thrilling matchup, Tennessee Tech secured its 11th Ohio Valley Conference title with an 82-76 overtime victory against Lindenwood on Saturday, a win that further cemented their place in the NCAA Tournament. Reghan Grimes was instrumental for Tennessee Tech, scoring 23 crucial points, while Keeley Carter, who was named the tournament MVP, contributed significantly by scoring nine of her 21 points during the overtime period.
Tennessee Tech had already ensured its 12th NCAA appearance by defeating Southern Indiana 88-78 in the semifinals. In Saturday’s final, Carter’s pivotal three-point play gave Tech a 76-74 lead with just over a minute remaining. Although Brooke Coffey managed to even the score for Lindenwood, Carter quickly responded with a successful jumper followed by a crucial steal that led to two free throws, putting Tech ahead 80-76 with 13.2 seconds left on the clock.
Lindenwood struggled in the closing moments, missing five of their final six attempts, while Tennessee Tech excelled at the foul line, going 8 for 9 during overtime. Chloe Larry, who secured the final two free throws, added 15 points to the efforts of Tech (26-5), which made an impressive 24 out of 29 free throws, with Carter alone hitting 13 out of 13 attempts.
For Lindenwood (21-10), appearing in their first title game, Brooke Coffey achieved a career-high of 20 points, with Ellie Brueggemann contributing 19. Both teams experienced scoring droughts at crucial moments; however, Brueggemann gave Lindenwood a brief advantage with a layup, making it 70-68 with a little over two minutes left in regulation. Grimes then tied the contest with a fadeaway shot from the left baseline with 19.2 seconds remaining.
As regulation time expired, Brueggemann missed an opportunity near the foul line, and Coffey was unable to capitalize on the subsequent rebound. Lindenwood had earlier leads, ending the first quarter 20-16, maintaining a slim 33-32 advantage at halftime, and leading 59-55 after three quarters.
