SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Truman State women's basketball team couldn't overcome a dominant second-quarter performance by Drury, falling 88-76 on Saturday afternoon at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. The Bulldogs dropped to 13-9 overall and 10-4 in conference play, while the Panthers improved to 16-6 (13-2).
The game began as a tightly contested battle, with neither team able to build more than a five-point lead in the opening quarter. Drury opened with a 5-0 run on a Rhi Gibbons three-pointer and a Jazz Gray layup, but Truman responded with baskets from Morgan Miller and Katelyn Odem to pull within 5-4.
The teams traded leads throughout the first quarter. After Mallory Ott's two free throws gave Truman a 6-5 advantage at 5:50, the lead changed hands six times over the next five minutes. McCallop's layup at 2:52 tied the game at 12-12, and Odem's driving layup at 2:08 knotted it again at 14-14. Drury closed the quarter on a 7-4 run, capped by Josie Storey's three-pointer at 55 seconds, to take a 21-18 lead into the second period.
The second quarter proved decisive as Drury's offense caught fire from beyond the arc. The Panthers went 6-for-6 from three-point range in the period, with Storey leading the charge by hitting all three of her attempts. The Panthers built their lead to double digits at 36-28 after McCallop made two free throws at 5:08, then extended it to 52-38 by halftime after a 10-2 run over the final 1:40 of the quarter. Storey scored 11 of her game-high 22 points in the second quarter alone.
Truman made a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to single digits multiple times. After Drury built its largest lead at 60-43 with 6:09 remaining in the third, the Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run. Miller's three-pointer at 5:02, assisted by Rausch, cut it to 62-49, and Miller's layup at 4:11 made it 62-51. McCallop followed with a steal and two free throws at 3:19 to make it 62-53. White's two free throws at 2:45 trimmed it to 64-55, and her three-point play at 1:30 cut the deficit to 67-58. Miller's two free throws at 1:00 brought Truman within 69-60 heading into the final period.
The Bulldogs continued to battle in the fourth quarter. After Rausch made two free throws at 4:36 to cut it to 82-68, Truman got as close as 86-73 on Rausch's three-pointer at 1:26, assisted by Miller. However, Drury was able to maintain its lead and sealed the victory with free throws down the stretch.
McCallop led Truman with 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting and went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. Miller added 18 points and grabbed a team-high four steals while also dishing out two assists.
Team Statistics Comparison
| Category |
Truman State |
Drury |
| Field Goals |
23-54 (42.6%) |
31-56 (55.4%) |
| 3-Point FG |
2-18 (11.1%) |
11-19 (57.9%) |
| Free Throws |
28-31 (90.3%) |
15-21 (71.4%) |
| Rebounds |
29 |
31 |
| Assists |
5 |
17 |
| Turnovers |
14 |
15 |
| Steals |
9 |
5 |
| Blocks |
0 |
1 |
| Points in Paint |
36 |
28 |
| Fast Break Points |
6 |
7 |
| Second Chance Points |
12 |
7 |
| Points off Turnovers |
10 |
12 |
| Bench Points |
11 |
29 |
Truman State Statistical Leaders
Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Up Next:
Truman State will play Missouri S&T as part of Military/First Responders Appreciation Day on Thursday at 5:15 PM in Pershing Arena. The Bulldogs won the earlier season matchup against the Miners 69-62.
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