Rockhurst shocked No. 1 Drury on Tuesday
The Rockhurst Hawks pulled off their biggest women's basketball win since becoming an NCAA member in 1998, posting a 75-69 victory over the No. 1-ranked Drury Lady Panthers Tuesday night in Springfield, Missouri.
Not only did the win snap Drury's 42-game overall winning streak, but it ended the Panthers' 39-game winning streak over the Hawks. Rockhurst defeated Drury, 72-69 in overtime, in their first-ever meeting on Jan. 27, 2001 in Kansas City.
"I had a good feeling that we could win tonight," said Rockhurst coach Larry Park. "Our players were fired up and ready to go. We were very confident."
The Sullivan sisters, Daly and Keegan, combined for 41 points. Junior forward Monika Faerber scored 16 points and grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds.
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"This was a great team effort. Our defense was stellar. We did a job of rotating. We boarded every shot and just played with great energy," Park said.
The Hawks got off to a fast start, grabbing a 21-2 lead in the first quarter. Daly and Keegan Sullivan each scored seven points in the first seven minutes.
Rockhurst closed the first half on a 14-5 run to take a 38-25 halftime lead after Drury rallied to cut the Hawks' lead to 24-20 with 6:13 left in the second quarter.
Jessina Rada closed the third quarter with a three-pointer and layup to give Rockhurst a 55-45 lead going into the final period. Drury opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to tie the score with 6:08 left.
Faerber scored the next four points to put the Hawks back in front for good. The Sullivan sisters scored the final 13 points while making eight consecutive free throws.
Keegan Sullivan finished with 21 points on eight-of-12 shooting. Daly Sullivan tallied 20 points while canning all eight of her free throws. Haley Wiskur (5) and Faerber (4) combined for nine assists.
"I'm so happy for our team," Park added. "Covid has been tough on us. I could feel us starting to get it back last Saturday."
The Hawks, 7-5, return home to host McKendree on Thursday.
