Coach Steve Hesser's Drury Panthers will play their first road game of the season on Tuesday, when they travel to Maryville to take on Northwest Missouri State in a non-conference battle with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Panthers are 2-0 on the season after last Friday's 85-76 win over NAIA member Peru State at the O'Reilly Family Event Center, where Drury has won 28 straight. They'll be taking on a Northwest Missouri State team that is 3-1 after sweeping Great Lakes Valley Conference members William Jewell (91-85) and Rockhurst (82-58) in St. Joseph's  over the weekend. The Bearcats' lone loss was a 75-66 decision in the opener, at home, to Minnesota State-Moorhead.

Justin Pitts, a 5-9 freshman, is averaging 17.3 points and 3.5 assists to lead the Bearcats, who are receiving 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds from 6-8 senior Grant Cozad and 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds from 6-2 junior Conner Crooker. Zach Schneider, a 6-7 sophomore, is adding 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for a NWMSU team that is shooting 45 percent (32 of 71) from 3-point range.

Schneider has made 12 3-pointers and Crooker 10 already this season for Coach Ben McCollum's Bearcats, the defending MIAA champions and a team picked to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll this season. Northwest finished 24-9 last season, losing by one (60-59) to eventual NCAA-II national champion Central Missouri in their regional title game.

Drury trails Northwest 4-2 in the all-time series, with the Panthers picking up a 74-72 victory over the Bearcats last November in Drury's Thanksgiving Classic at The O'. The Panthers trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before facing a 44-33 halftime deficit. The Panthers were down 15 again (61-46) with just over 10 minutes remaining and were down 10 (69-59) with 4:49 to go before finishing the game on a 15-3 run to snatch the victory.

Kameron Bundy had 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Panthers, while Dylan Starzl had 23 points and Cozad added 14 for the Bearcats.

Bundy is averaging 22.5 points while Cameron Adams is adding 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds through two games for the Panthers, who also are receiving 13.5 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds from Mike Nwelue.

Tuesday's game can be heard on JOCK 98.7 FM (streamed live at www.jock987.com). 

Drury will return home to host the Doubletree Hotel/Houlihan's Thanksgiving Classic on Friday and Saturday at The O'. The Panthers will play Cameron at 3:15 p.m. on Friday - which marks the third annual "Free Friday" promotion, with all fans admitted for free - and then will take on Missouri Western on Saturday for "Hall of Fame Day," as that day's 20th annual Drury Athletics Hall of Fame Classic will be introduced at halftime, a group that includes former basketball Panther Adam White.

Kids 12-and-under are admitted free to all Drury home regular season games. For tickets, call (417) 873-6389 or visit www.drurytickets.com.