EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The ball had hung on the rim long enough, but didn't fall right for Amber Shelton.
         The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville junior took a 15-foot shot at the buzzer, hitting the top of the rim and falling out as the Vadalabene Center crowd of 818 stood silent for a split-second. The home fans were disappointed as Drury held on for a 66-64 victory.
         Drury took over the lead in the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division with a 7-3 mark in league play. Both teams have a 13-5 record overall. SIUE is now 7-4 in the GLVC.
         SIUE's Julianne McMillen scored her 1,000th-point in the game and finished with 14 points. Shelton and Whitney Sykes tied for SIUE's lead in scoring with 20 points.
         Sykes also will try for a milestone of her own Saturday when the Cougars play Rockhurst in a 1 p.m. game at the Vadalabene Center. She needs one more three-pointer to become SIUE's all-time leader. The junior from Pontoon Beach is tied with Terri Evans with 172 career three-pointers.
         Molly Carter led the charge for the Panther with 19 points. Lauren Gregory and Greta Wiersch added 13 and 10 points, respectively
         SIUE was troubled from the free throw line in the game, hitting just 14 of 29 shots.
                  -siue cougars-