Drake Patterson
Drake Patterson

Men's Basketball Scott Puryear, Associate AD For Marketing & Communications

Panthers Put Win Streak At The O' On The Line Saturday With Visit From No. 6 Bellarmine

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A Bellarmine team that about a year ago, ended one school-record streak for Drury Basketball will be trying to snap another on Saturday, when the sixth-ranked Knights visit the O'Reilly Family Event Center to continue their burdgeoning Great Lakes Valley Conference rivalry with the Drury Panthers.

Drury will take a 32-game winning streak at The O' into the contest, which features a 3:15 p.m. tipoff between the Panthers (9-3, 3-1 in the GLVC) and the Knights (11-1, 3-0). It's the second "Educator Appreciation Day" of the week, with all area teachers, administrators and school employees at any level - and their families - admitted for free by presenting a valid school ID at the O'Reilly ticket window before gametime. The ticket also grants the holder to admission for the Lady Panthers vs. Bellarmine game that tips off beforehand, at 1 p.m.

Drury Baseball will also be wrapping up its annual Canned Food Drive for the Ozarks Food Harvest, with fans encouraged to bring a canned good or non-perishable item and placing it in the bins located near both entrances to The O' on Saturday.

It was Bellarmine about one year ago at this time that, before a packed house at Knights Hall, stopped the Panthers' school-record, 34-game winning streak with an 85-77 decision, ending the nation's longest win streak at that time to boot.

Both teams come into Saturday's showdown off victories, as the Panthers put together arguably their most impressive effort of the season in an 80-59 win over traditional GLVC East powerhouse Southern Indiana, while coach Scott Davenport's Knights won 81-62 Thursday night at Missouri S&T in Rolla.

Cameron Adams led a balanced DU attack with 18 points, while Mike Nwelue added 16 points and Drake Patterson had a season-high 15 points (on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range). Kameron Bundy had 13 points for the Panthers, who shot 60 percent from the field and made a season-high 10 3-pointers.

The Knights are led by 6-7 senior Jake Thelen and his averages of 17.7 points and 10.8 rebounds. Bellarmine has additional size in 6-9 sophomore Josh Dersken (11.9 ppg) and 6-10 junior George Suggs (8.7 ppg) in their starting unit, which gets 11.3 points per game from 5-9 senior guard Chris Whitehead and 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds from 6-5 sophomore Rusty Troutman.

Bellarmine's lone loss was to current No. 7-ranked Florida Southern (101-96 in overtime) last month in Louisville. A Drury team that fell out of the poll for the first time since February 5, 2013 this week (a span of 26 NABC/Division II top 25 polls) would seem to have a chance to play their way back into it coupling Thursday's win over USI with a possible triumph over Bellarmine. Drury's three losses this season are to teams who entered this week with a combined record of 34-2 (Tarleton State, Indianapolis and Northwest Missouri State).

Bundy averages 17.8 points and Adams adds 16.4 points to lead the Panthers, who get 12.8 points and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds per game from senior forward Mike Nwelue. With his 18-point effort on Thursday, Adams pushed his career points total to 1,264, surpassing former DU great Brandon Lockhart (1,255 from 2009-13) for 21st place on the all-time list.

Drury leads the all-time series with the Knights by a 9-4 count, with the teams having split the last four meetings. Bellarmine is 1-1 at The O', having defeated Drury 84-65 in January, 2012 before the Panthers downed the Knights 67-61 in the NCAA-II Midwest Regional finals in March, 2013 that sent DU on to the Elite Eight and, ultimately, its first NCAA national championship.

Saturday's game will be televised by Mediacom Connections 22, with replays set for 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday beginning with the telecast of the women's game. It can also be heard on JOCK 98.7 FM (streamed live at www.jock987.com), and be viewed on a free, live webcast at www.drurypanthers.com/watch.

 
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Players Mentioned

Cameron Adams

#24 Cameron Adams

F
6' 5"
Senior
Forward
Kameron Bundy

#3 Kameron Bundy

G
6' 2"
Junior
Guard
Mike Nwelue

#31 Mike Nwelue

F
6' 5"
Senior
Forward
Drake Patterson

#11 Drake Patterson

G
6' 4"
Senior
Guard

Players Mentioned

Cameron Adams

#24 Cameron Adams

6' 5"
Senior
Forward
F
Kameron Bundy

#3 Kameron Bundy

6' 2"
Junior
Guard
G
Mike Nwelue

#31 Mike Nwelue

6' 5"
Senior
Forward
F
Drake Patterson

#11 Drake Patterson

6' 4"
Senior
Guard
G