BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Lady Panthers secured their first Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) win of the season in Bolivar on Monday evening against Southwest Baptist, 58-57.
 
Drury raced out to an early lead in the first quarter, growing their lead to as much as four points in the opening frame. The Bearcats cut the lead to three by the end of the quarter, giving the Lady Panthers a 12-9 advantage.
 
The Lady Panthers started the second quarter on a 12-1 run to grow their lead to 13 points, off a pair of Josie Storey three-pointers.
 
The run continued for Drury through the first half, outscoring SBU 20-14 in the quarter.
 
Entering play today, the Lady Panthers had struggled in the third quarter, with a -29 scoring difference on the season; those struggles continued against the Bearcats.
 
Despite scoring the first six points of the half, Drury was outscored 20-17 by Southwest Baptist in the third quarter behind seven different SBU scorers.
 
Southwest Baptist kept its momentum from the third quarter going into the fourth quarter.
 
Jazz Gray and Rhi Gibbons went on a 7-2 run of their own in the first four minutes of the quarter. A Gray driving layup at the 6:39 mark was the final field goal for the Lady Panthers in the game to extend the lead to ten.
 
The Bearcats closed the game on a 12-2 run but were unable to convert a shot at the buzzer to steal a win from the Lady Panthers.
 
GAME NOTES

• Southwest Baptist outscored Drury in points off turnovers (13 to 11), fast break points (13 to 6), and bench points (16 to 9).
• The Lady Panthers were able to win the battle in the paint, 36 to 32.
• Drury shot a season high 46% from the field on 23 of 50 shooting.
• The Lady Panthers were more efficient from beyond the arc than the Bearcats, 45.5% compared to 25%.
• Drury's best run of the night came in the second quarter, 12-0. SBU went on a 7-0 run late in the third.
• Drury out rebounded SBU 32 to 30, despite SBU winning the offensive glass, 11 to 9.
• The Lady Panthers did not trail the entire game, the first time since February 26, 2025, against Truman State.
• Entering play tonight, Drury was -29 in scoring in the third quarter, with SBU winning the third quarter by three, the Lady Panthers are now -32 in the quarter this season.
• Sara Mendel recorded her third double-double of the season and seventh of her career on 20 points and 11 rebounds.
• 20 points matches Mendel's career high.
• Mendel's double-double was the first 20+ point, 10+ rebound performance for a Lady Panther since Reese Schaaf did so in the GLVC Tournament against Upper Iowa in March 2024.
• Rhi Gibbons added 15 points for the Lady Panthers on 6 for 16 shooting. She also pulled down 9 rebounds.
• Mendel and Gibbons extended their double-figure scoring streak to six games. The longest double-digit scoring streak from a pair of teammates in Drury history.
• The Lady Panthers are now 18-3 all-time in GLVC openers.
• Kaci Bailey's coaching teams are 3-0 in league openers.
• The win for Kaci Bailey was her 50th as the Drury head coach.
• The one-point victory for Drury was Kaci Bailey's first career win when the game was decided by a point.

 
QUOTABLE
"This game was a learning moment for our team," said coach Kaci Bailey postgame, "We will learn and get better from this game, for Truman on Thursday."
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Panthers continue their road stretch in Kirksville with a 5:15 pm tip-off against Truman State on December 4.
 
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