SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The seventh-ranked Drury Lady Panthers hit a number of high-water marks for the season on Tuesday afternoon as they turned back the Drovers from Science & Arts (Okla.) 95-60 at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
The Lady Panthers forced the Drovers into 30 turnovers, collected 17 steals, drained 14 three-point shots and hit on 19 free throws, all season bests, in winning their fourth game in a row and they moved to 8-1 on the year.
But overall, it was the shooting numbers that impressed the most. Drury finished 31 of 59 from the field for 53 percent, went 14 of 26 from behind the arc for 54 percent, and knocked down 19 of 22 from the line for 86 percent to make it an easy outing.
“Like I’ve said from the beginning about this group, they just prepare – they prepare watching film and in scouting and good things happen when they get on the floor,” said Drury head coach Amy Eagan.
After missing their first five shots of the game, the Lady Panthers quickly found their shooting touch, hitting 10 of their next 11 attempts, and pulled away early, leading 26-10 after the opening period.
They increased the margin to 48-27 at halftime, forcing the Drovers into 18 turnovers in the half, while grabbing a dozen steals.
“This team is always willing to make the extra pass, to find the open player and that’s part of the reason we’re tough to guard – because we have so many players that can make things happen,” added Eagan.
Balanced scoring was key for the Lady Panthers, paced by a 21-point effort from graduate student Kaylee DaMitz-Holt. Fellow grad student Terrion Moore added 18 points, with freshman Reese Schaaf dropping in 14, while junior Allie Clevenger finished with 12.
Lainey Morrow, Zaria Dorsey, and Diaka Berete shared scoring honors for the Drovers with 12 points each. The loss was the first of the season for Science & Arts after starting the campaign 9-0.
The Lady Panthers return to Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Saturday when they host Quincy in a 1 pm game at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
