BOLIVAR, Mo.— Southwest Baptist thwarted Drury’s come-from-behind effort in the second half to defeat the Panthers 82-67 on Thursday night in Bolivar.
The Bearcats started the game on a 13-4 run and built a 20-point at halftime, 45-25. Drury chipped away at SBU’s lead in the second and pulled within nine, 59-50, with 7:43 remaining. The Panthers could get no closer, however, as Southwest Baptist made free throws down the stretch and went 19 for 20 at the line for the game.
“We just started competing harder in the second half,” said Drury head coach Chris Foster. “We played harder, we were more active and we were more determined offensively to get the ball into the paint. We just have to figure out a way to play that way for 40 minutes.”
Quinn Nelson led a balanced Southwest Baptist attack with 15 points, while Drew McMillin added 14 points and RJ Crawford chipped in 13.
Quenton Shelton led the Panthers with 14 points and Logan Applegate contributed 11.
SBU shot 50 percent from the field in the game, going 28 for 56. The Panthers had six more shot attempts but went 24 for 62 for 39 percent.
Drury is on the road again for their next game as they travel to Rockhurst for a 3 pm game in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday.
