KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Drury Lady Panthers held Truman State to just five points in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 57-46 win at Pershing Arena on Monday night in Kirksville, Missouri.
 
The eighth-ranked Lady Panthers improved to 15-1 and stayed unbeaten in the Great Lakes Valley Conference as they moved their league record to 6-0. The win was Drury's 13th straight. The Bulldogs dropped to 10-4 and 5-2 in the conference.
 
Drury survived a night where they shot just 30 percent from the field going 19 for 63, were only 3 for 27 from three-point range and were outrebounded 48-36.
 
But the Lady Panthers forced Truman State into 27 turnovers and held the Bulldogs to 36 percent shooting (18 for 50) to pick up the road win.
 
"I wasn't sure we pull this off against Truman State scoring in the 50's, but I loved our defense in the fourth quarter," said Drury head coach Molly Miller. "We dug down and held them to five points in the quarter, and that helped get it done.
 
"We challenged them at halftime and said 'no more offensive boards (for them)," she added. "That's where the majority of their points were coming from, and we needed to slow that down."
 
Hailey Diestelkamp, who sat out most of the first half with two fouls, turned in a double-double with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. It marked the second straight double-double for the sophomore from Owensville, Missouri and is the third time in four games she has notched double figures in points and rebounds.
 
Lucia Fernandez chipped in 11 points for Drury while Sloane Totta led Truman State with 12.
 
Monday's game was the first of four straight on the road for the Lady Panthers. Drury is at Bellarmine on Thursday for a 4:45 p.m. (central) tipoff in Louisville, Ky.
 
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