#6 Drury Panthers (21-7) vs #3 Findlay Oilers (26-4)
Sat., March 10, 2018 – 11 a.m.
NCAA-II Midwest Regional Quarterfinals
Wink Arena – Big Rapids, Mich.   
 
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Drury draws Findlay in first round of Midwest Regional 
The Drury Panthers play Findlay on Saturday at 11 a.m. (Central) in the opening round of the NCAA-II Midwest Regional tournament in Big Rapids, Michigan.
 
The Panthers are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA-II tournament and are seeded sixth in the regional. Drury is 21-7 and they went 13-5 in conference play to tie for the West Division title in the regular season. The Panthers defeated Southern Indiana 79-72 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference quarterfinals on March 2nd and fell by one, 68-67, to Truman State in the league semifinals on March 3rd.
 
Findlay is 26-4 and ranked 13th in this week's NCAA-II coaches' poll. The Oilers went 17-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and are coming off of a loss to Ohio Dominican, 68-66, in the G-MAC semifinals on March 2. Findlay is in the NCAA-II tournament for the 14th time since they joined Division II as a full member in 2000-01 and the program is 18-12 all-time in the national tournament. Last year, the Oilers advanced to the Midwest Regional finals and lost to Bellarmine 84-66 in Louisville. Findlay has won the regional title twice and they captured a national championship when they went 36-0 in 2008-09.
 
Saturday's game is the second meeting ever between Drury and Findlay. The previous match-up was also in the NCAA-II tournament and was an opening round game played in Springfield. Drury defeated the Oilers 89-77 at the O'Reilly Family Event Center in what was the Panthers first win on their way to the 2013 national championship.
 
The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the Midwest Regional semifinals on Sunday at 4 p.m. (Central) and will play the winner of second-seeded Bellarmine and number seven seed Truman State. The regional championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13 at 6 p.m.
 
Drury in the NCAA-II tournament
The Drury Panthers are in their 11th NCAA-II tournament in program history, and it is the ninth appearance in the 14-year head coaching tenure of Steve Hesser. Drury is 12-9 all-time in the national tournament with regional championships in 2014 and 2013 as well as the 2013 National Championship. The Panthers have an all-time record of 4-6 in the first round of the event and are 9-8 in regional play. In addition to Drury's 11 NCAA-II tournament appearances, the Panthers advanced to 15 NAIA national tournaments in program history going 18-14 and winning the 1979 NAIA National Championship.
 
NCAA-II Midwest Regional Quick Facts
 
Record
Drury 21-7
Findlay 26-4
 
NCAA-II Midwest Regional seed
Drury #6
Findlay #3, ranked 13th NCAA-II
 
Head Coach
Drury- Steve Hesser (14th year, 302-113)
Findlay- Charlie Ernst (7th year, 157-51)
 
Last Game
Truman St. 68 Drury 67 (March 3, GLVC semifinals)
Ohio Dominican 68 Findlay 66 (March 2, G-MAC semifinals)

All-Time Series
Drury 1-0

Last Meeting
Drury 89 Findlay 77 (March 16, 2013, NCAA-II Midwest Reg. 1st rd., at DU)

NCAA-II Midwest Regional Schedule
Sat., #3 Findlay vs #6 DRURY, 11 a.m.
Sat., #2 Bellarmine vs #7 Truman St. 1:30 p.m.
Sat., #1 Ferris St. vs #8 Ohio Dominican, 5 p.m.
Sat., #4 Lake Superior St. vs #5 Hillsdale, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Findlay/DU vs BU/TSU, 4 p.m.
Sun., Ferris St./ODU vs LSSU/Hillsdale 6:30 p.m.
Tue., NCAA-II Midwest Reg. Championship, 6 p.m.
 
(all times Central)
 
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