Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 6)- The McKendree University women's basketball team dropped a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest to No. 9 Drury University on Thursday 99-73.

The Bearcats fall to 7-12 overall and 2-9 in the GLVC with the loss and will host Missouri S&T on Saturday for a conference matchup at 1 p.m.

McKendree had four players in double-figures, led by junior guard Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville)'s 16 points. Junior forward Danielle Amann-Stewart (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) added 15 points, and senior guard Brittany Willis (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) and freshman forward Emily Pusheck (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Bearcats. Willis enters Saturdays game needing only seven points to become the 14th member of the 1,000-point club at McKendree.

The Bearcats played the Lady Panthers tough in the early going, taking an 8-7 lead on a three-pointer by Ponce just over three minutes into the game. A layup and free throw by Pusheck put McKendree in front 14-11 at the 15:34 mark, but Drury used an 8-0 run to regain the lead 19-14 with just under 13 minutes to play in the half.

McKendree found itself with a double-digit deficit, 38-28, with 7:17 left in the half, but outscored the Lady Panthers 14-10 over the next five minutes to cut the score to 48-42. Drury limited the Bearcats to only one more bucket in the half and held a 55-44 edge at the break.

The Lady Panthers used their height advantage in the second half, outscoring McKendree 24-12 in the paint, to extend its lead over the final 20 minutes of play. The Bearcats were unable to get into a rhythm offensively and were 11-of-30 from the field in the second half.

Amber Dvorak led all players with 25 points for Drury.