Illinois Springfield women's basketball fell on the road Thursday, dropping an 81-49 decision to Drury at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. The Prairie Stars led after one quarter, but the Panthers used sustained runs in the middle quarters to pull away.

UIS came out with strong defensive energy, converting early Drury turnovers into points. Kayla Rice, continuing her climb up the program record list, accounted for UIS's first points of the night with a steal and a made three, two categories in which she is closing in on the UIS program's career lead. Kennedy Osterman followed with another triple as the Prairie Stars built an early advantage. Osterman added a layup midway through the quarter, and Rice capped the period with a basket in the final seconds as Illinois Springfield carried a 19-16 lead into the second quarter.

Momentum shifted in the second period as Drury settled in offensively. Julia Mingus knocked down a three early in the quarter, and Allison Wheeler briefly put UIS back in front with a layup at 5:37. However, the Panthers closed the half on a decisive run, capitalizing on rebounds and transition opportunities. Drury outscored the Prairie Stars 19-7 in the quarter to take a 35-26 lead into halftime.

The Panthers continued to build separation in the third quarter, opening the half with a scoring surge that extended the margin to 20 points. UIS found limited offensive rhythm during the period, though Osterman provided a spark late with a layup and a pair of free throws. Drury outscored the Prairie Stars 22-10 in the quarter to take a commanding 57-36 lead.

UIS  continued to compete in the fourth quarter, with Molly Knight scoring early from the free-throw line and Brooke Spychalski adding a late basket. Drury, however, maintained control throughout the final period, using efficient shooting to close out the game and secure the 81-49 victory.

Julia Mingus led UIS with 12 points, adding five rebounds and two three-pointers. Osterman finished with 10 points and two steals, while Kayla Rice totaled nine points and three steals. Knight contributed five points at the line and three steals for the Prairie Stars.

"Drury took us out of what we wanted to do both offensively and defensively," said Coach Birt. "Unfortunately, it wasn't our night. We have to bounce back and move onto the next game, mentally we're already moving on to Saturday."

Illinois Springfield moves to 7-11 overall and 4-6 in GLVC play. Drury improves to 11-6 on the season and 8-2 in conference action.

Up Next
UIS is set to meet Missouri S&T at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Rolla, Mo.