Quincy, Ill. - For the first time in a decade, the Quincy University women's basketball team reigned victorious over the Drury University Panthers after Saturday afternoon's contest (Feb. 8). The Hawks battled through two overtime periods and sent the Panthers home with a 104-94 loss. 

Quincy squeaked out of the first quarter with a two-point lead after battling a Drury lead for the majority of quarter. Drury's defense blocked Quincy out of three shots, and forced the Hawks to score from inside the paint. The Hawks floor generals led the team in the first ten with Karsyn Stratton, Mikayla Huffine, and Taya Stevenson each putting up four points. 

The Hawks extended their lead through the second period with an eight-point run at the start. Again, the Panthers took away the long ball from the Hawks, forcing Quincy into ten points in the paint. Quincy benefited from Cymirah Williams and her pull-up jumper in the second, along with seven rebounds from the senior.

The Panthers outscored the Hawks for the first time in the game in the third quarter, going 47 percent from the field, compared to the Hawks' 28 percent. The Hawks scored just two baskets in the first five minutes, while the Panthers cut their 12-point deficit to just five points in that time and tied things up with the Hawks with two minutes remaining. Quincy came back with layups from Williams and Huffine to go into the fourth quarter on top. 

Drury took back the lead in the fourth, but Taylor Haase scored five points in a minute to take the Hawks back within a basket. Huffine scored the final basket of regulation on a layup to push the teams to overtime. 

The teams went basket-for-basket in the first overtime period. Nicole McDermott drew an and-one layup and Huffine drew a foul from the Panthers' top scorer, sending her to the bench on her fifth foul. Huffine's free throws gave Quincy a four-point lead with 20 seconds to go. However, Drury was quick to bank a three point shot two seconds later. 

Karsyn Stratton made both of her final free throws with 12 seconds to go in the first overtime, but the Panthers responded with a three point shot in the corner to tie things up with six seconds left. A heart breaking pull up jumper from Stratton at the buzzer made its way into the net and bounced out, forcing a second overtime. 

Quincy took care of business in the final five minutes of play, out-scoring the Panthers 14-4 and forcing them into their worst shooting of the game at 14 percent. Williams was key in the final period with six points and two boards. The Hawks took their first overtime victory this season, after suffering a double overtime loss to the Peacocks of Upper Iowa in Fayette. 

The Hawks had six with double digits this afternoon--Williams (22), Huffine (18), McDermott (15), Stratton (13), Haase (11), and Acheampomaa Danso (10). Danso led the Hawks with 13 rebounds, giving her a third double-double this season. Williams also secured a double-double with ten rebounds this game. McDermott had a season-high five steals and Huffine dished out four assists this afternoon. 

Quincy's win is the first over Drury since 2014 when the Hawks overtook the Panthers in Pepsi Arena by three points. Quincy also surpasses the Panthers in the GLVC Point Rating System by .01 points as the new two-seed in the conference standings. The Hawks face a tough Missouri-St. Louis team this coming Thursday (Feb. 13) in hopes to continue their winning streak and move higher up in the conference rankings.