LEBANON, Ill. – The Lady Panthers beat McKendree on Saturday in a meeting of the GLVC's top offenses, 83-80, in Lebanon.
 
The first quarter was an offensive showcase. Both Drury and McKendree put up 23 points in the quarter, with the largest lead coming for the Lady Panthers of four points, at two different points in the opening ten minutes.
 
Josie Storey opened the second quarter with a three-pointer and two for the Lady Panthers' longest run of the quarter to take a 28-23 lead just a minute into the quarter.
 
The Lady Panthers carried that momentum throughout the quarter and took a nine-point lead into the break, 49-40.
 
Drury grew their lead to 11 points just two minutes into the half before McKendree kicked it into a different gear. Tessa Crawford took over for the Bearcats and scored nine points as a part of an 11-2 run for McKendree that spanned four minutes.
 
The Lady Panthers closed the third quarter with four points to take a 65-59 advantage into the final ten minutes.
 
McKendree kept their swing of momentum into the fourth quarter, but Drury was able to keep at least a two-possession lead until the final two minutes of the game, when the Bearcats cut the Lady Panthers lead to 81-77.
 
Tessa Crawford stayed hot from beyond the arc and made her fourth three-pointer of the second half just under the two-minute mark, then came back less than a minute later to make her fifth and cut the Drury lead to 81-80.
 
The final minute of the game was slowed down as both teams fouled to slow the game down, using fouls to their advantage.
 
McKendree would have an opportunity to take the lead with ten seconds left, but Audra Pasakarnis would come away with a steal on the defensive end off the Jazz Gray deflection. Pasakarnis would immediately be fouled and make both free throws a part of the bonus to put the dagger in the Bearcats' life, 83-80.
 
GAME NOTES

• Drury improves their record against McKendree to 18-0 and 7-0 in Lebanon.
• The Lady Panthers now sit third in the GLVC with a 7-2 record, only behind UMSL (10-0) and Maryville (8-2).
• Drury and McKendree were the two highest-scoring offenses in GLVC play entering the season. The two teams totaled 163 points, the second-highest total score in a GLVC game this season, only behind the Upper Iowa and Quincy meeting on December 1 that totaled 174 points.
• The Lady Panthers shot 55.9% from the field on 33-59 shooting, the best field goal percentage this season for Drury.
• Drury held McKendree to 39.7% from the field on 68 attempts.
• Drury also shot a season high 63.6% from three, led by Raegan Halliday and Audra Pasakarnis, going 2 for 2.
• The Bearcats scored 28 points in the paint in the first half, but they were held to 12 in the second half.
• McKendree made ten more free throws than Drury attempted. The Bearcats were 20 for 26. Drury was 10 for 16.
• Drury's bench outscored McKendree's 33 to 22. The Lady Panthers' bench was led by Pasakarnis with 14 and Halliday with 12. All 22 of McKendree's bench points came from Tessa Crawford.
• Since Pasakarnis' move out of the starting lineup, she is shooting 80% from the three-point line and pulling in three rebounds a game.
• Jazz Gray scored 14 points, one short of her career high, all in the first half on seven made field goals.
• Rhi Gibbons scored 15 points, a Drury high. It came after only one point at halftime.
• Sara Mendel's double-double streak ended with an eight-point, nine-rebound game. The streak ended at seven games, which was the longest active streak in NCAA Division II.
• Sage Stratton started her third consecutive season. Stratton is the first freshman to start at least three games in a season since Hailey Diestelkamp (32) and Daejah Bernard (34) started as freshmen in the 2016-17 season.
• Josie Storey appeared in her 100th career game. Storey played 65 games at UT-Martin and now has played in 35 games at Drury.
• Talia Norman did not score in the game but pulled in three rebounds and was strong for the Lady Panthers defensively. She recorded the highest +/- of any Lady Panther in the game with a +7.
• Two Bearcats scored at least 20 points. Tessa Crawford led McKendree with 22 off the bench on 5-7 shooting from three and 20 from Baylie Parks.
• Parks recorded a double-double in the first half and ended with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
• The win for Drury ended a four-game winning streak for McKendree.
• Drury is now 5-4 on the road this season and 23-9 under Kaci Bailey.
• The Lady Panthers have improved to 4-1 following a loss this season and 13-4 under Bailey.
• This season, the Lady Panthers are now 6-4 in games decided by 10 points or less. In games decided by five points or less, Drury is 5-1.

 
QUOTABLE
"It was a very physical game from start to finish," coach Kaci Bailey commented postgame, "I think Audra did a great job guarding Parks off the bench. Jazz was great for us in the first half, and the way Rhi turned it on late carried us offensively."
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Panthers return to Springfield on Thursday for a meeting with Illinois Springfield in The O'.
 
FOLLOW THE LADY PANTHERS
For all the latest information on Drury athletics, please visit drurypanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on Instagram, X, and Facebook