Cameron Adams scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Kameron Bundy added 22 points as No. 6 Drury fought past Peru State 85-76 for a non-conference victory before 1,744 fans Friday night on "Service Appreciation Night" at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.

Freshman Drew Moore hit all five of his shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and added 12 points off the bench for the Panthers, who improved to 2-0 overall in winning their 28th consecutive game at The O'.

But it was a struggle for the Panthers virtually the entire night against NAIA Peru State, which came into the exhibition game for the Bobcats with a 5-1 mark.

Drury trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half before rallying to build a 43-33 halftime advantage. The Bobcats outscored the Panthers 43-42 in the second half.

"I'll just say I didn't do a very good job of getting them past Tuesday night (the "HIghway 13 Cat Fight" rivalry game win over Southwest Baptist)," Drury coach Steve Hesser said. "Give Peru State credit ... they're athletic, and they had a couple of guys sitting out tonight for doing some no-nos, if you will ... but I saw some things from us tonight that tells me we've got a lot of work to do. We're not a well-oiled machine by any stretch of the imagination.

"The only thing that saved us tonight is that we didn't turn it over."

Drury had just seven turnovers in the contest while forcing 16 by their visitors from Peru, Nebraska. The Bobcats outrebounded Drury 35-32 and shot 49 percent from the field (28 of 57) while holding the Panthers to 47 percent (27 of 58).

"We always talk about playing ahead of the play ... we were playing about three counts behind the play tonight," said Hesser, who picked up his 225th career victory (225-79). "We just could never get the energy and the collective effort and attitude to do things the right way. That's my fault, and I take responsibility for that. We've got a big week coming up, and we need to be accountable. It's hard to improve if you're not accountable for what you do."

Hesser did praise the play of Adams in particular. With his former high school team, Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside, in the stands, Adams hit 6 of 9 shots from the field and added 11-for-14 effort at the line in his best game of the year, playing 34 minutes after being limited through the preseason and SBU game with foul trouble.

"Cameron made some effort plays to save possessions ... I'm very proud of him," Hesser said. "We need to get more guys on his energy bus. I don't know what time he's leaving the terminal, but we need to get more guys to get a seat on his bus."

Bundy followed his 23-point showing versus SBU with 22 against the Bobcats, adding four assists, four rebounds and three steals in 33 minutes as Drury prepares for a road test Tuesday night at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.

"We've got a huge week coming up," Hesser said. "Going on the road up there (to Northwest) ... we got them here last year, and I still don't know how we (won) that one. They'll be ready for us."

The Panthers then return home to host the annual Doubletree Hotel/Houlihan's Thanksgiving Classic next Friday and Saturday, playing at 3:15 p.m. both days. Drury will take on Cameron on "Free Friday" - the third annual event where all fans are admitted free - and then will face Missouri Western on Saturday for the annual "Drury Athletics Hall of Fame Day," when the four-person class of inductees, which includes former DU basketballer Adam White, will be introduced at halftime.

For tickets, visit www.drurytickets.com or call (417) 873-6389. Kids 12-and-under are admitted free to all games this season.

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