ROMEOVILLE, Ill.— The Drury Lady Panthers suffered their first loss of the season as Lewis held on for a 72-69 win on Thursday in Romeoville, Illinois.
 
Drury fell to 6-1 and 1-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while the Flyers won their fourth straight to go to 4-2 and 3-0 in the GLVC.
 
Lewis owned a 45-36 lead at halftime and went up by as much as 13 late in the third quarter before the Lady Panthers mounted their comeback.
 
Drury ended the third quarter with a three-point play by Quincy Erickson to pull within six, 61-55. The Flyers fought off Drury's attempts to pull within a single possession in the fourth quarter until Beth Matas Martin's three-pointer with 35 seconds remaining. Lewis guard Grace Hilber hit four free throws down the stretch to keep the Flyers in front to the final horn.
 
Lady Panthers forward Reese Schaaf led all scorers with 21 points and added 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the year. Martin finished the game with 13 points.
 
Lewis guard Taylor Guliuzza had 17 points, while Hilber had 13. Forward Lily Courier contributed 11 points and 15 rebounds.
 
The Flyers owned a 45-37 rebounding advantage, had 14 offensive boards, and outscored Drury on second-chance opportunities 16-13.
 
The loss was Drury's first defeat to a conference opponent since Feb. 17, 2022, when they also lost at Lewis in an 87-79 setback. Drury won 32 straight against GLVC teams, including games in the conference and NCAA-II Tournament.
 
The Lady Panthers play their third road game in six days on Saturday when they take on Indianapolis. Tipoff is at 11:30 am (Central).
 
 
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