Box Score

(Springfield, Mo.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners cleared a huge hurdle Monday night snapping a 13 game losing streak to Drury with an 80-72 victory at the O'Reilly Family Events Center in Springfield, Mo. The win over the Lady Panthers was the first since S&T's first season of basketball back in 1974-75 when it defeated Drury three times.

With the win the Lady Miners (18-6, 12-4 GLVC) secured a first round home game in the conference tournament on Saturday, February 26 against a yet to be determined opponent.

The game was tight for the first eight minutes as neither side had a lead of bigger than two points. The lead changed hands nine times and had three ties.

S&T began to take control with a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to build the largest lead of the half at 21-12. Julie Meyer (Marthasville, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) and Hailee Parks (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) scored all 10 points in the run for the Lady Miners.

Drury (17-8, 13-4 GLVC) scrapped back to within two behind the play of Bethanie Funderburk who at one point scored nine straight for the Lady Panthers.

Drury regained the lead at 26-25 on a three-pointer by Abby Bracker with just over four minutes to play in the frame.

The two sides then began exchanging baskets over the last four minutes as again neither side led by more than two points.

Chelsea Stangel (Manitowoc, Wisc./Roncalli ) put S&T ahead for good with a three from the wing with 1:13 remaining to send the Lady Miners into the locker room with a 33-32 halftime lead.

S&T shot nearly 50 percent (14-for-30) from the floor and was 2-of-4 from downtown and 3-for-4 at the line. It held an 18-to-15 edge on the glass and outscored the Lady Panthers 24-12 in the paint. Parks had 12 to lead the Lady Miners while Fareedah Washington (Forrest City, Ark./Forrest City) dropped in eight and Meyer dropped home seven.

Drury shot just 38 percent (9-for-24) from the floor and was 3-of-10 from behind the arc. It stayed in the game thanks to 11-of-12 shooting at the charity stripe. Funderburk led all scorers with 19 points. Bracker dropped in five while Ja'Nell Jones added four.

The second half started the same way the game did with each side answering each other bucket for bucket.

S&T built an early five point lead before the Lady Panthers tied the game on an old fashioned three-point play by Sara Jane Plemmons at 43-43.

Meyer and Jones exchanged baskets to keep the game tied before the Lady Miners went on an 18-2 run that lasted nearly five minutes.

Katelyn Heil (Dexter, Mo./Dexter) put the Lady Miners back in front with a pair of free throws at the 13:51 mark. The lead grew to eight on a jumper by Karli Sample (St. Joseph, Mo./Benton) with 11:17 to play.

Kylie Williamson brought Drury back within six with a jumper but S&T countered with 10 straight. Toni Knar (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) hit back-to-back threes to push the lead into double figures. Senait McLeod (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef) made it a 14-point contest with a fast break layup then Parks capped the run with a layup to make it 63-47.

The two sides again started trading baskets as the Lady Miners were able to maintain their double digit lead for nearly six minutes. The Lady Panthers got as close as five points with 1:30 left.

S&T was able to break Drury's full court pressure as Washington was left all alone for an easy layup which made it 77-70 with 1:27 left.

The Lady Panthers again cut the game to five on a pair of free throws by Amanda Gibbons with just over a minute to play.

The Lady Miners hit their free throws in the final minute going 3-of-4 as Drury got no closer and S&T was able to pull out the 80-72 win.

The Lady Miners shot a blistering 67 percent (16-for-24) from the floor in the second half and was a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown. S&T was also 12-of-18 at the line and continued its dominance on the boards with a 16-11 advantage.

The Lady Panthers shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor in the stanza but was just 3-for-10 from downtown.

S&T finished the game shooting 56 percent (30-of-54) from the floor and was 5-for-7 from behind the arc. Parks finished with 24 points while Meyer dropped in 13 and Washington had 12. D'Naya Mims (Chicago, Ill./Harlan Community Academy) had a game-high nine rebounds. The Lady Miners outscored Drury 46-30 in points in the paint.

The Lady Panthers shot 44 percent (24-for-54) from the field but were just 6-of-20 from three and shot 95 percent at the foul line. Funderburk led all scorers with 25 points while Jones had 16 and Plemmons dropped in 11.

S&T returns home on Thursday evening to take on Rockhurst beginning at 5:30 p.m.