SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Lady Panthers put their 10-game winning streak on the line against No. 20 Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday night in the O'Reilly Family Event Center at 5:45 pm.
Drury will honor their three seniors pregame:
Audra Pasakarnis,
Josie Storey, and
Rhi Gibbons, as a win will put the Lady Panthers in a prime position for a share of the GLVC Regular Season Title. The Tritons have already clinched at least a share of the title and the top seed in the league tournament that starts next week.
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
- The Lady Panthers hold a 37-2 record against UMSL.
- While playing in Springfield, Drury is 19-0.
- Drury has won the last six meetings against the Tritons.
- Kaci Bailey is 2-0 as the Lady Panthers head coach against UMSL, but she is 3-2 all-time against UMSL with a 1-2 record in her time at Quincy.
- UMSL's coach, Katie Vaughn, has been with the Tritons for 14 seasons. She is 2-21 against the Lady Panthers in her tenure.
STORYLINES
- Thursday's game is a meeting between the top two teams in the GLVC, UMSL (18-1) and Drury (16-2). If the Lady Panthers can get a win on Thursday and then on Saturday against Missouri S&T, Drury, and UMSL would tie for the regular-season GLVC title.
- UMSL has already clinched the top seed in the league tournament, with the league's point rating system (PRS) determining the seeding. The Lady Panthers are locked into either the second or third seed.
- The Lady Panthers enter on a ten-game winning streak, the longest in the GLVC this season, tied with Lewis' that ended on Jan. 29 against Drury. The winning streak is the second-longest in Kaci Bailey's coaching career (13 in 2023-24).
- The Tritons have won six straight since their lone GLVC loss at Illinois Springfield on Jan. 31.
- UMSL has jumped in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national rankings to No. 20.
- The game will be the Lady Panthers' first game of the season against a nationally ranked team. They have played two games this season against teams that are receiving votes, Ferris State and Union.
- Kaci Bailey has yet to win a game as a head coach against a top-25 team, 0-7.
- Drury is one win away from their 13th consecutive 20-win season.
- In the program's first 25 seasons, Drury has won at least 20 games in 22 seasons; one more win will mark the 23rd time in program history.
- Drury (1.06) and UMSL (1.12) are the top two teams in the GLVC in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Lady Panthers have recorded at least 20 assists in the last three games.
- At 14.6 assists per game, the Lady Panthers lead the GLVC.
- Shooting 45.3 percent from the field, Drury is 12th in NCAA Division II and leads the GLVC.
- The Lady Panthers are scoring 73.2 points per game this season, 0.1 points behind the league leaders, McKendree.
- Drury is second in the nation in three-point percentage at 39 percent. They trail only Tampa, which is shooting 40.3 percent.
- The Tritons are one of the best teams in the country at not sending opponents to the free-throw line. UMSL only fouls 13.2 times per game, the eighth fewest in the country.
- When the Tritons get to the free-throw line, they have the third-best percentage in NCAA-II with an 80.8 percent.
- The UMSL defense is allowing 54.2 points per game, 15th-fewest in the country.
- The Tritons play at the second slowest pace in the GLVC, recording about 66 possessions per 40 minutes, only ahead of Lewis, which is in the 50s. The Lady Panthers are averaging 70 possessions per 40 minutes, middle of the GLVC.
- The Lady Panthers are slightly ahead of the Tritons in offensive rating (efficiency per 100 possessions). Drury is in the 91st percentile of NCAA-II in offensive rating with a 103.8, and UMSL is in the 90th percentile with a 103.2.
- The Lady Panthers are led by Sara Mendel. Mendel is now the single-season double-double record holder in Drury history after a 20-point, 12-rebound game against Southwest Baptist for her 19th double-double of the season, the most in the nation.
- Mendel is also second in the country in field goal percentage, 67.1 percent.
- Mendel leads the GLVC in rebounds per game with 10.4.
- With nine points, Mendel will reach 400 points this season and be 13 points shy of her 800th career point. If she were to pull in six rebounds, she would reach 600 career rebounds.
- Rhi Gibbons' double-figure scoring streak ended at 28 games against Southwest Baptist after being pulled for a cut above the eye. Gibbons is 43 points away from her 900th career point and 18 rebounds away from 300 career rebounds.
- Josie Storey is 24 points away from her 700th career point, including her time at UT-Martin.
- Audra Pasakarnis is seven points away from her 700th career point, including her time at Mineral Area Community College.
- The starting lineup of Kaylee King, Rhi Gibbons, Jazz Gray, Sage Stratton, and Sara Mendel has posted an 11-0 record.
- In each of the last three games, the Lady Panthers have upped their second-half scoring. Against Jewell, Drury scored 44, followed by 45 points against Rockhurst. In their most recent game against Southwest Baptist, the Lady Panthers scored 46 points.
- This season, Drury is 15-1 when leading at halftime and entering the fourth quarter.
- When keeping opponents under 60 points, the Lady Panthers are 11-0.
- The Lady Panthers are now 13-0 in games when they reach 70 points first this season.
- If the game were to be close, Drury is 9-4 in games decided by 10 points or less this season and 6-1 in ones decided by five or less.
- As a team, the Tritons are pulling in 40 rebounds a game, led by Mara Rieder (10.0), Morgan Ramthun (9.1), and Jayden Kuper (7.6). All three of those players are in the topfive of the GLVC in rebounding.
- Rieder is one of the names to watch for GLVC Player of the Year. She is scoring a league-best 19.9 points per game, grabbing 10.0 rebounds a game, shooting 53.7% from the field, and blocking 2.1 shots per game.
- The leading assister in the league, Anna Costa Riera (4.4), is the starting point guard for the Tritons.
- UMSL is 10-2 in road games this season, and the Lady Panthers are 10-2 in home games this season.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Lady Panthers finish the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 28, in Rolla against Missouri S&T for a noon tip-off.
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