In a high-scoring contest, the Drury Lady Panthers emerged victorious with a 92-82 win over the Truman Women’s Basketball team in Pershing Arena. Gracie Neff achieved her first double-double with 13 points and 10 assists, while Molly Joyce scored a career-high 24 points, and Ellie Weltha recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Weltha also reached a significant milestone by becoming only the third Bulldog ever to pull down 1,000 career rebounds.
Both teams displayed impressive offensive performances, with Drury making 13-of-16 shots and Truman making 10-of-16. The Lady Panthers took a 30-22 lead after the first quarter. Truman started the second quarter strongly with an 11-2 spurt, briefly taking the lead at 33-32. However, they struggled to finish the half, going 1-of-11, and Drury led 45-41 at halftime.
Drury extended its lead to 17 points in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs mounted a comeback in the fourth. Neff’s three-pointer sparked an 11-3 run, bringing the margin down to 81-76. Despite Truman’s efforts, Caitlynn Daniels made a crucial three-pointer with 1:21 left, helping Drury secure the win. Daniels and Beth Matas Martin combined for 54 of Drury’s 92 points, with Daniels finishing with 26 points and Matas Martin scoring 28.
Truman will now embark on two road games, facing Rockhurst and William Jewell in the upcoming weekend.
In men’s basketball, Truman State secured their seventh win of the season with a 68-63 victory over Drury. The Bulldogs took an early 15-2 lead over the Panthers, but Drury fought back to cut the lead to one by halftime. Truman maintained a lead throughout the second half, and with the game tied at 63-63, Casen Lawrence hit a crucial 3-pointer with 0:48 left. Kobi Williams and Trey Shearer made free throws late in the game to seal the five-point win.
Matt Haefner had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 20 points on 8-11 shooting, including 4-6 from three-point range. Haefner also contributed eight rebounds and a block. Kobi Williams added 13 points, with eight coming from free throws, and Xavier Hall led in assists with seven and steals with three.
The Bulldogs will continue their road journey, facing Rockhurst on Thursday and William Jewell on Saturday.
