INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Despite a Drury single-game record 22 rebounds from senior Melanie Oliver, unbeaten and nationally second-ranked Indianapolis fought off the Lady Panthers for a 69-65 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play here Saturday afternoon.
Oliver's 22 boards eclipsed the previous mark of 21 in a game set by DU Hall of Famer Amanda Newton vs. Missouri Western on March 12, 2004. Oliver also had 15 points, one of three Lady Panthers in double-figures, as Drury - which led for virtually the entire contest - fell to 18-6 overall and 10-3 in the GLVC. Lindsay Ballweg finished with a team high 17 points, while Ja'Nell Jones added 15 for DU.
Indianapolis, in getting its first victory in six tries in the all-time series with the Lady Panthers, improved to 23-0 and 14-0 in the GLVC.
Oliver had 19 points and set her previous career high with 19 rebounds against Indy in a win in Springfield last season. On Saturday, the senior forward was even better, personally outrebounding the Greyhounds 15-12 in the first half.
"I thought Melanie pursued every rebound that went up," Drury coach Steve Harold said. "It was just an outstanding rebounding effort. I think playing the defenses we played today, keeping her near the basket, gave her the opportunity to put up those kind of numbers. She played outstanding."
As did the Lady Panthers, right down til the end. Drury's four-point loss was the closest home game Indianapolis has had this season, which has begun with a school-record 23-game winning streak.
The Lady Panthers were on top 44-39 at the half, and saw the Greyhounds seize their first lead at 46-44 after opening the second half with a 7-0 run. The teams exchanged leads from there, with Drury pushing it back to as many as six points (56-50) with 9:59 left.
It was tied at 62-all with 2:06 remaining after Oliver hit one free throw. But Indy junior standout Samantha Meissel, who had been writhing on the floor in pain only seconds earlier, recovered to hit a jumper with 1:53 left for a 64-62 lead, then after a Drury missed trey, answered with a 3-pointer of her own at the 55-second mark for a 67-62 Greyhounds advantage.
Still, when Ballweg hit a 3-pointer from the corner to make it a two-point game (67-65) with 19 seconds left, the Lady Panthers had a chance. Indy guard Katie Dewey missed the front end of a one-and-one, Oliver picked up her record-breaking rebound with 16 seconds left and DU came down the floor with a chance to win it.
But Jessica Canary blocked Katie Pritchard's 3-point try with 12 seconds to go to push it back to four, Drury turned it over seconds later, and Dewey hit a breakaway layup just before the final horn for the final 69-65 margin.
"I'm proud of the team effort until the final few seconds," Harold said. "We didn't finish it the way our team should finish it."
Oliver had one of the truly phenomenal first halves in Lady Panthers' history, grabbing 15 rebounds in staking Drury to a 44-39 lead at the break.
Oliver's bucket from close range, a steal by Jones and a layup by Ballweg just before the buzzer gave the Lady Panthers a big momentum boost heading into the locker room at the half. Drury had led 30-19 at one point, before Indy clawed back with a 10-0 run to pull within one and eventually tie it before the Lady Panthers' flurry at the end of the half.
Drury held a 23-12 advantage on the boards in the half, while Indy kept it tight by hitting 8 of 14 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes. The Lady Panthers finished with a 42-30 edge in the rebounding battle against the taller Greyhounds, in spite of playing without senior starting post Caitlin Shouse (concussion) for the third straight game.
The Lady Panthers hit 46 percent from the field (27 of 59), including a 4-for-12 effort from 3-point range (33 percent). Indianapolis made 26 of 62 (42 percent) and hit 11 of 31 (36 percent) from behind the arc.
Jones had six of Drury's 11 assists and Ballweg led the Lady Panthers with three steals.
Meissel finished with 24 points while Dewey added 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Greyhounds.
Drury returns home for three games next week, entertaining Southern Indiana on Tuesday, Maryville on Thursday and UMSL on Saturday, the latter marking Homecoming festivities, Senior Day for DU seniors Ballweg, Oliver, Shouse and Sarah Tipton as well as the final regular season home game at Weiser Gym.
Box Score
Video Highlights