ROLLA, MO -- Missouri S&T Women's Basketball beat the Drury Panthers 67-55 on Senior Day, handing them their third conference loss of the season. The win marks the second time this season that the Miners defeated Drury, previously beating the Panthers 74-67 on the road.
A pair of early buckets from
Anna Gilbertson (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) put the Miners up 5-2, but Drury surged ahead with an 8-0 run.
Kiarra Kilgore (Galesburg, IL/Galesburg) scored on a pair of strong takes to the basket to help the Miners hang with the Panthers before the opening quarter closed with the visitors up 14-9.
Adriana Benassi (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit) and
Norah Gum (Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) combined for eight points early in the second quarter, leading the Miners on a 12-4 and taking a one-point lead. Jumpers from
Macy Marraccini (Broken Arrow, OK/Broken Arrow) helped extend the S&T lead to three in the final minutes of the quarter, but a bucket from Drury's Rhi Gibbons made it a one-point game again heading into halftime.
The Panthers retook the lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, moving ahead 28-27 on a basket from Sara Mendel. The Miners quickly and emphatically reclaimed the lead though, scoring nine unanswered in three minutes. A couple of three-pointers by Drury cut the S&T lead down to just two, but free throws and a layup by Marraccini kept the Miners in front 45-42 entering the final quarter.
Kilgore scored five in the first minute of the fourth quarter, extending the S&T lead to six.
Anna Finley (Owensville, MO/Owensville) started a 6-1 S&T run later, putting the team up by ten. The Miners fended off a late comeback attempt by the Panthers, ending the game on a 5-0 run to seal the 67-55 victory.
Kilgore led the Miners in scoring with 12, being joined by Gilbertson and Gum in double digit scoring. Benassi set a new career-high for rebounds, leading the Miners with nine boards on the day. The twelve-point margin of victory was S&T's largest against Drury since 1975.
The game marks the end of the Miners' season, ending the campaign on a high note with two straight wins. S&T ends the season 12-14 with a 7-6 record at home.
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