Drury Lady Panthers Game Preview
#5 Drury Lady Panthers (9-1) at Mocs Christmas Classic 
Dec. 16-17, 2022 – Lakeland, Fla.     
 
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Drury heads to Florida for Mocs Christmas Classic
Drury heads to Florida for two games in the Mocs Christmas Classic on Friday and Saturday in Lakeland, Florida.
 
The Lady Panthers are 9-1 and ranked fifth in NCAA-II. Drury has won five straight and is coming off a 77-55 win over Quincy on Saturday.
 
Eight of Drury's nine wins have been by double-digits. The Lady Panthers have won three games by more than 30, two games by more than 20, and three by 15 or more. Drury's closest win was a nine-point victory over Trevecca Nazarene, 75-66, on Nov. 12 in Bolivar.
 
Kaylee DaMitz-Holt leads the Lady Panthers averaging 16.6 points, 3.1 assists and two steals per game. 
 
Drury's first game in the event will feature a top 10 national showdown as they face eighth-ranked Eckerd. The Tritons are 8-1 and ranked number eight in Division II. Their only loss this year came on Nov. 22 at Angelo State in Texas. Friday's game tips off at 11 am (Central).
 
Saturday, the Lady Panthers take on host Florida Southern at 1 pm (Central). The Mocs are 8-2 with their only two losses coming to nationally-ranked squads. Florida Southern fell to Lee, ranked number 20 at the time, in their season-open, and they fell to Eckerd 72-60 on Nov. 30.
 
After this weekend, the Lady Panthers are off until Jan. 5 when they return to the floor and to conference play when they host McKendree at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
All-Time Series 
The Lady Panthers have played Eckerd and Florida Southern only once. Both games were in the 2019-20 Mocs Christmas Classic in Lakeland and Drury won both contests.
 
Last Meeting
Drury 97 Eckerd 57 (Dec. 19, 2019 in Lakeland, Fla.)
 -- Hailey Diestelkamp had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists
-- Drury forced 31 turnovers
 -- The Lady Panthers led 46-23 at the half
 
Drury 72 Florida Southern 68 (Dec. 20, 2019 at FSC)
 -- Hailey Diestelkamp scored 13 points while playing only 15 minutes due to foul trouble
-- Payton Richards also had 13 points
-- Drury was just 5 for 21 from three-point range
-- Florida Southern out-rebounded the Lady Panthers 37-25
 
Last Game
Drury 77 Quincy 55 (Dec. 10 at DU)
 -- The Lady Panthers jumped out to a 21-10 lead after the first quarter but Quincy climbed within four in the second half
-- Terrion Moore led Drury with a season-high 20 points and added 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
-- Alana Findley chipped in 16 points
-- The Lady Panthers forced 31 turnovers and held the Hawks to 3 for 13 shooting from three-point range
 
Up to number five nationally 
After three straight weeks ranked number seven, Drury moved up two spots in the latest NCAA-II coaches'  and is ranked fifth nationally. Three teams from the Midwest Region are ranked in the top five, with Grand Valley St. ranked number one, Ashland second, and the Lady Panthers fifth.
 
The poll marked the 140th consecutive week the Lady Panthers have been ranked in the top 25, the longest streak in the nation. It is also their 78th straight week to be ranked in the top 10.
 
QUICK FACTS
Records
Drury: 9-1, ranked #5 NCAA-II
Eckerd: 9-1, ranked #8 NCAA-II
Florida Southern: 8-2
Truman St.: 7-4
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Amy Eagan (3rd yr., 65-8/14th yr., 252-150)
Eckerd: Paul Honsinger (17th yr, 265-168)
Florida Southern: Megan Dzikas (1st year, 8-2)
Truman St.: Theo Dean (4th year, 62-28)   
 
All-Time Record vs Opponents
Drury 1-0 vs Eckerd
Drury 1-0 vs Florida Southern 
 
Last Meeting
Drury 97 Eckerd 57 (Dec. 19, 2019 in Lakeland, Fla.)
Drury 72 Florida Southern 68 (Dec. 20 at FSC)
 
Mocs Christmas Classic Schedule
Fri.: Drury vs. Eckerd, 11 am (CST)
Fri.: Truman St. at Florida Southern, 1 pm (CST)
Sat.: Truman St. vs Eckerd, 11 am (CST)
Sat.: Drury at Florida Southern, 1 pm (CST)
 
Next Game
Lady Panthers vs. McKendree -- Thur., Jan. 5, 2023
5:45 pm -- O'Reilly Family Event Center 
 
 
#allweDUiswin