SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Lady Panthers eye their fifth straight win on Saturday against Upper Iowa in Fayette.
Drury enters play on Saturday coming off its largest comeback win in the past two seasons, 13 points the Lady Panthers trailed Lewis on Thursday before downing the Flyers 75-65. Upper Iowa comes in on a three-game winning streak. The Peacocks beat SBU 60-54 on Thursday.
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where games will be streamed live throughout the regular season. New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to GLVC regular season and postseason broadcasts will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15. All Drury Lady Panthers games will also have free live audio coverage on DU All-Access.
SERIES HISTORY
- Drury is 5-0 against Upper Iowa all-time.
- All five wins have come under Kaci Bailey.
- Saturday will only be the second meeting in Fayette. The first game in Iowa was an 88-69 win for Drury in their first-ever meeting.
STORYLINES
- Drury sits alone in second place in the GLVC with a 10-2 record. The Lady Panthers trail only UMSL, which has a 12-0 record. The Tritons play at Illinois Springfield on Saturday.
- This season, it is a race to 70 for the Lady Panthers. Drury is 9-0 when they reach 70 points before their opponents.
- Drury and Upper Iowa are the two top teams in three-point shooting against GLVC opponents this season. Upper Iowa is shooting 37.4%, Drury is 44.1%.
- The Lady Panthers have the third-best three-point defense in league games, with opponents shooting 25.9%. The Peacocks are first with their opponents shooting 25.2%.
- On the road this season, Drury is 6-4, 5-1 in GLVC play. Upper Iowa is 8-5 at home this season.
- While playing on Saturday's this season, the Lady Panthers are 5-0 and are 5-1 at games that have a 1 pm scheduled tip.
- The Peacocks enter Saturday on a three-game winning streak. The three wins have come against the bottom-three GLVC teams (Southwest Baptist, William Jewell, and Rockhurst).
- Rhi Gibbons extended her double-digit scoring streak to 23 games, dating back to last season. She is the first Lady Panther to score double figures in the first 19 games of the season since Paige Robinson in the 2020-21 season.
- On Thursday, Sara Mendel recorded her 13th double-double of the season. She sits at third in Drury single-season double-doubles, one away from tying Hailey Disetelkamp's 2018-19 season.
- There are only two players in NCAA Division II, so far this season, who are averaging a double-double and shooting better than 60% from the field: Sara Mendel (14.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 67%) and Seton Hill's Mia Kalich (14.2 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 65.8%).
- After pulling in 13 rebounds against Lewis, Mendel now has 527 career rebounds. That ranks her 11th all-time at Drury. She is one rebound away from tying Erica Goose for 10th and eight away from tying Kara Rutledge for ninth.
- With seven rebounds on Saturday, Mendel would record her 200th rebound of the season.
- Kaylee King has made 22 consecutive free throws dating back to last season. She is 16-16 to start the season.
- The Drury starting lineup of Kaylee King, Rhi Gibbons, Jazz Gray, Sage Stratton, and Sara Mendel is 5-0 this season and has started the last four games.
- The Lady Panthers have shot over 50% from distance in three of the last four games.
- Upper Iowa is led by Ellie Foster, who is scoring 13.5 points per game on 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
- In the Peacocks' last game, they did not start anyone over 5-11, creating a height advantage for the Lady Panthers.
LOOKING AHEAD
Drury returns to The O' on Thursday, Feb. 5, against Quincy for the BCFO Pink Out at 5:45 pm.
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