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ROLLA, Mo.-Senior guard Molly Carter's career-high 30 points helped No. 6-ranked Drury pull off a stunning comeback in regulation - from nine points down with less than 30 seconds left - with a trey just before the buzzer, then led their runaway from Missouri Science & Tech in the overtime for a 79-69 victory in a matchup of Great Lakes Valley Conference powers Thursday, February 8.
The Panthers, who won their ninth straight game to improve to 18-2 overall and a West-leading 10-2 in the league, trailed 62-53 before Carter sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 27 seconds left to get DU within six of the Miners, who entered the contest tied with DU atop the West.
After a free throw from the Miners' Tamara McCaskill with 24 seconds left pushed the lead back to seven (63-56), the Panthers truly went to work with some more Molly Magic as Carter finished off a remarkable effort with 28 points after halftime.
She scored on a drive with 17 seconds to go, and after an S & T turnover, freshman Ja'Nell Jones followed her own miss with 5.4 seconds left to pull DU within three (63-60). The Lady Miners turned it over on the in-bounds pass on a second straight possession, allowing the Panthers to somehow set up for a potential game-tying shot.
They worked the ball around the perimeter into Carter's hands, who let a trey from the top of the key fly again, catching nothing but net with three seconds remaining and forcing the OT.
In the extra session, it was knotted at 69-all after two free throws from S & T's Jaime Forsberg with 1:42 left before the Panthers scored the game's final 10 points, with Carter's off-balance 14-footer at the 1:30 mark giving DU the lead for good.
Asked if he'd ever had a team come from such a deficit to win in his 13 years as a head coach, Drury coach Steve Harold smiled and said "never."
"This team - and I know a lot of people won't believe this - but this team never quit believing we were going to win the game," Harold said. "Our defense there at the end of regulation allowed us the chance.
"I think this team's greatest quality is they just know how to win."
McElrath had 24 points for S & T, which fell to 15-4 and 9-3. The Miners, ranked No. 4 in the Great Lakes Region to Drury's No. 1, trailed 27-23 at halftime.
S & T, which fell to 0-7 in the all-time series with the Panthers, finished the contest with 33 turnovers. Carter had five of DU's 16 steals.
Sophomore forward Lindsay Ballweg had 16 points and sophomore post Melanie Oliver added 12 points and shared team rebounding honors with Sara Bos with seven as DU was beaten 41-35 on the boards.
(Source Drury) | 
