Lady Panthers shut down Missouri S&T 65-36

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The seventh-ranked Drury Lady Panthers used a strong denial defense in dispatching the Miners of Missouri S&T 65-36 to open Great Lakes Valley Conference action Monday night at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
 
The Lady Panthers held the Miners to just 16 percent shooting for the game, forcing 24 turnovers and grabbing 13 steals in route to the win, which moved them to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in GLVC play while the Miners dropped to 3-5 and 0-1 in the conference.
 
“I thought our half-court defense was really good tonight,” said Drury head coach Amy Eagan. “We executed really well despite all of the fouls. Our game the other night was called completely different than tonight and I told the kids at halftime that we have to learn to make adjustments when that happens.”
 
Despite battling foul issues in the opening half, the Lady Panthers held the Miners in check the first two periods, limiting the visitors to nine points in each quarter and did not allow a made field goal in the second, in route to a 39-18 lead at intermission.
 
Drury would allow the visitors a dozen points in the third period, then once again shut down the S&T offense in the final ten minutes, yielding just six points in the final quarter.
 
“S&T’s a high-power offense,” added Eagan. “They average 85 points a game, so what we did defensive tonight was a really, really good effort.”
 
The Lady Panthers veterans lead the way offensively, as senior Alana Findley finished with a team-high 14 points, while graduate students Terrion Moore and Kaylee DaMitz-Holt added 12 and 10, respectively.
 
Alex Kerr topped the S & T scoring, closing with 11 points.
 
For the game, Drury was 25 of 65 for 39 percent shooting, with the Miners hitting on just eight of 51 attempts for 16 percent. The eight made field goals is a Drury defensive record as was the 16 percent allowed. The Lady Panthers allowed nine made field goals against Mansfield on Nov. 9, 2003, and the previous low for a shooting percentage was Harris-Stowe’s .222 mark when they were 14 for 63 against Drury on Nov. 20, 2005.
 
The Lady Panthers return to action on Thursday, Dec. 1st, when they continue GLVC play at Missouri-St. Louis in a 5:30 pm start
 
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