Drury Lady Panthers (5-4, 3-0 GLVC) at Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions (1-9, 0-2 MIAA)
at Ark.-Fort Smith	Saturday, Dec. 20 | 2 p.m.
Site	Stubblefield Center | University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | Fort Smith, Arkansas | Parking Map
Quick Links	Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Drury Game Notes | UAFS Athletics | Tickets | 103.5 FM (Fort Smith Local Radio)
Social Media	X: @DULadyPanthers | Instagram: @DruryWBB | Facebook: @DruryLadyPanthersBasketball

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drury Lady Panthers get an opportunity to avenge their November 26 loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday afternoon in Fort Smith.
 
The Lady Panthers hosted Fort Smith on day two of the Drury Thanksgiving Classic, with the Lions grabbing their lone win of the season, 74-65 in overtime. Since the Fort Smith win, the Lions are 0-4, and the Lady Panthers are 3-1.
 
Fans may follow the action through the MIAA Network (subscription required). Single-game purchases cost $15.75, or a monthly subscription for $36.35. Drury Lady Panthers games will also have live audio coverage available on DU All-Access for free with Ed Beach on the call Saturday afternoon.
 
SERIES HISTORY

• This is the ninth meeting between Drury and Arkansas Fort Smith.
• The Lady Panthers are 7-1 all-time against the Lions.
• Saturday will be the third meeting between the two teams in the last two seasons, with both teams having a win.
• It will be the first time the two teams have played against each other twice in the same season.
• The Lions won the meeting earlier this season 74-65 in overtime.
• In last season's meeting, Drury won 71-55 behind a program record 62 rebounds.

 
STORYLINES

• Drury and Arkansas-Fort Smith meet for the second time this season. It is the first time in program history that the Lady Panthers play a non-conference opponent twice in a regular season. It is the first time since the 2018-19 season that the Lady Panthers are playing a non-conference opponent twice, when they played Nova Southeastern in December and then again in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
• Saturday is Drury's final non-conference game of the regular season.
• The Lady Panthers are 2-4 against non-GLVC opponents this season, with both wins coming in the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
• In non-conference play this season, Drury has been outshot in field goal percentage (41.7% to 40.4%), three-point percentage (32.1% to 29.1%), and free throw percentage (72.6% to 63.1%). The Lady Panthers have been outscored by nine points per game, 76–67.
• If the two losses by 20 or more points (Ferris State and Union) are removed, Drury is averaging the same number of points per game as its opponents at 65.3.
• The only statistical category in which the Lady Panthers lead their non-conference opponents in is assists per game, holding a 13.0 to 12.67 edge.
• Kaci Bailey is 19–21 in her career as a college head coach in non-conference regular-season games. At Drury, she is 11–8 against non-league opponents during the regular season.
• Rhi Gibbons has extended her double-figure scoring streak to start the season to nine games, the longest to start a season since Paige Robinson did so in the 2020-21 season.
• Gibbons has now scored double figures in 13 straight games, dating back to last season.
• Josie Storey is closing in on 600 career points. She is currently sitting at 593, combining her time at Drury and UT-Martin.
• Sara Mendel is entering the game after recording her fifth double-double of the season. She is now tied for 13th for the most single-season double-doubles in program history and is ranked tied for sixth in career double-doubles with 11.
• Five double-doubles through the first nine games of the season is the most since Sanayika Shields recorded five in the 2014-15 season.
• Mendel is currently fifth in the NCAA Division II in field goal percentage this season with a 65.5%. If the season were to end today, she would finish the season with the best single-season field goal percentage in program history, passing Alison Coday, who has a 56.1% in the inaugural season of the program, 2000-01.
• As a team, Drury ranks 27th in the nation in three-point percentage with 35.5%.
• Arkansas-Fort Smith's top scorer, Telisha Brown, has not played since November 25, when she suffered an injury against Truman State on day one of the Thanksgiving Classic.
• There is not a single other Lion that is averaging double-figure points.
• Over the last five seasons, UAFS has 28 wins while playing at home.

 
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday's game is the final game of the 2025 year. The Lady Panthers return to the court when they host Rockhurst on January 2.
 
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