FAYETTE, Iowa – Josie Storey's late-game heroics win it for the Lady Panthers over Upper Iowa on Saturday afternoon in Fayette, 77-75.
 
Drury and Upper Iowa traded scores in the first quarter, with the largest advantage coming for the Peacocks just two minutes into the game when they started up 4-0. The Lady Panthers would rally in the high-octane quarter to take a 20-19 lead into the second quarter behind six points from Rhi Gibbons.
 
After a layup from Kendyl Lodermeier started the second quarter, Drury would show why they are one of the top teams on both sides of the ball in the GLVC, rattling off 14 points and holding the Peacocks to six points in the first seven minutes of the quarter, giving Drury a 34-25 lead.
 
The Peacocks would end the quarter on an 8-0 run to close the gap and enter halftime trailing by only one, 34-33.
 
The Lady Panthers kept their lead to one possession throughout the third quarter. Upper Iowa tied it at 45 with two minutes remaining in the third, but a pair of layups from Audra Pasakarnis and Josie Storey gave Drury a four-point lead with ten minutes left in the game.
 
Drury's offense hit a wall in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as Upper Iowa scored 18 points in the first four minutes of the quarter, seven of them from free throws. The Lady Panthers were able to score five, but the Peacocks flipped the script and held a 63-54 edge with six minutes left.
 
Now trailing by eight with 3:20 left in the game, Jazz Gray was sent to the free throw line and split a pair to start a 6-0 run for the Lady Panthers and tie it at 69 with 1:13 left in the game.
 
With 60 seconds left in regulation, it became whistle-heavy on the Upper Iowa offensive side, as the Peacocks shot six free throws in the closing minute.
 
Bryar Duwe made two free throws with 10 seconds left to put Upper Iowa up four, 75-71. Kaci Bailey would call a timeout to advance the ball up the court. Coach Bailey would draw a play up for Josie Storey, who would bank a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the Peacock lead to one with eight seconds left.
 
Following an Upper Iowa timeout, the Peacocks would inbound in front of their own bench. The Lady Panthers' defense would be shut down, forcing a bad pass for Duwe to go out of bounds and give Drury possession in their front court.
 
Drury would have a loose handle of the ball with four seconds left and cause a jump ball with the Lady Panthers having the arrow. Out of timeouts, Coach Bailey would sub Josie Storey into the game with 1.5 seconds left. Raegan Halliday would have the inbound in front of the Drury bench and lay a bounce pass to Storey in the corner. Storey would throw up a fadeaway heave as time expired and use glass for the second straight possession to win it for the Lady Panthers at the buzzer, 77-75.
 
GAME NOTES

• The Lady Panthers are now 11-2 in the GLVC, only one game behind No. 25 UMSL after the Tritons dropped their first league game of the year at Illinois Springfield, 75-68, on Saturday.
• The win was Drury's second straight comeback victory. The Lady Panthers trailed by as much as nine points against Upper Iowa and 13 on Thursday against Lewis.
• Drury shot 46.4% from the field and 42.9% from three. It is the third consecutive game that Drury has shot greater than 42% from the field and three.
• Upper Iowa was 22-52 (42.3) from the field, but the free throws kept the Peacocks in the game. Upper Iowa was 24 for 27 from the free-throw line as Drury was only 7 for 9.
• The Lady Panthers outrebound Upper Iowa by 16, 43 to 27. Drury had 16 offensive rebounds, tying their single-game high this season.
• Drury assisted on 21 of their 32 made field goals. 21 assists is the most for Drury since Jan. 18, 2025, against Maryville when Drury had 21.
• The Lady Panthers scored 34 points in the paint and 16 on fast breaks to best the Peacocks.
• Drury scored 28 points in the fourth quarter. It is the fourth straight game that the Lady Panthers have scored at least 22 in the final quarter of games.
• Josie Storey had eight points off the bench for Drury, including the game-winner. It is the first game-winner that the Lady Panthers have had since Beth Matas Martin hit a jumper against Maryville on Jan. 11, 2024, in the closing seconds to down the Saints, 67-65.
• Rhi Gibbons led all scorers with 19 points to extend her double-digit scoring streak to 24 games. Gibbons also led the Lady Panthers with six assists, tying her career high.
• Sara Mendel recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Mendel has now tied Hailey Diestelkamp's 2018-19 season for second in Lady Panthers single-season double-doubles.
• Mendel was 5 for 10 from the field. Five shots are the most Mendel has missed in a game since Dec. 1 at Southwest Baptist.
• With 13 rebounds, Sara Mendel is now 540 career rebounds, which is ninth all-time in Lady Panthers history.
• Kaylee King scored 15 points in the win, two days after tying her career high of 16 at Lewis.
• Jazz Gray was 5 for 8 from the field for 13 points.
• Four Peacocks scored in double figures: Ava Privet (16), Ellie Foster (15), Josie Foster (14), and Kendyl Lodermeier (12).
• Privet scored nine of her 16 points from the charity stripe, going 100% on free throws.
• Upper Iowa's Bryar Duwe had six points off the bench, leading the Peacocks. She was a game-worst -13 and had the costly turnover with 8 seconds left in the game.
• The starting lineup of Kaylee King, Rhi Gibbons, Jazz Gray, Sage Stratton, and Sara Mendel has gone perfect in their six games starting together this season.
• The Lady Panthers are now 8-4 in games decided by 10 points or less. In games decided by 5 or fewer, Drury is 6-1.
• The Lady Panthers are now 6-0 all-time against Upper Iowa.
• Drury finishes the month of January with an 8-2 record. Kaci Bailey is now 23-4 in the month of January in her Drury tenure.
• The Lady Panthers are riding a five-game winning streak, their longest of the season, entering the final month of the regular season.
• The win was Kaci Bailey's 60th conference win in her career. She is now 60-35 in her five seasons in the GLVC.

 
QUOTABLE
"Late in the game, I asked our girls if they believed, and they all said yes," Kaci Bailey said postgame. "It was big time for Josie to come in and hit those two shots late in the game. We have been in these close games all year, so our team has confidence that we can get it done when it matters."
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Panthers are back in Springfield on Feb. 5 against Quincy for the BCFO Pink Out.
 
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