Drury Lady Panthers Game Preview
GLVC Tournament Championship
#2 Drury Lady Panthers (30-4) vs. #5 Lewis Flyers (16-14)
Sun., March 6, 2022 – 1 pm – First Community Arena
Edwardsville, Ill.         
 
Live Coverage
Radio- JOCK 96.9/1060
Live Audio- 969thejock.com, TuneIn
TV/Video- GLVCSN (PAY-PER-VIEW)
Live Stats- GLVCsports.com
 
Lady Panthers aim for sixth-straight GLVC title on Sunday
The Drury Lady Panthers will aim for their sixth consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference championship on Sunday when they take on Lewis at 1 pm at First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois.
 
Drury is 30-4, went 17-3 in the GLVC regular season, and is the number two seed in the league tournament. The Lady Panthers entered the week ranked eighth in in the NCAA-II coaches' poll. Drury advanced to the finals with an opening-round win at home over William Jewell 97-51 on Monday, a 92-55 victory over Rockhurst in the quarterfinals on Thursday, and a 64-54 win in the semifinals against Missouri-St. Louis.
 
Lewis is 16-14 and the number five seed in the tournament. The Flyers went 11-8 during league play and advanced to the finals beating Maryville at home, 74-62, in the first round, defeating Truman State 83-75 in the quarterfinals on Friday, and the knocked out the top seed, Southern Indiana, 88-72, on Saturday. In three tournament games, the Flyers are shooting 50 percent from three-point range, going 32 for 64.
 
The two teams split the two regular season meetings with both teams winning at home. The Lady Panthers won 75-61 over Lewis on Jan. 8 at the O', then lost 87-79 in Romeoville, Illinois, on Feb. 17. Paige Robinson did not play in the Jan. 8, but Drury won, coming back from a 40-23 halftime deficit. Kaylee DaMitz had a season-high 32 points in the game, scoring 18 of them in the second half. In Drury's loss to the Flyers last month, the 87 points they allowed are the most they've surrendered this season and are the most they've allowed in a game since Nov. 14, 2017, when Southwest Baptist put in 93 points against the Lady Panthers.
 
Drury leads the all-time series against Lewis 18-8.
 
Following Sunday's game, the NCAA will make the announcement on the Division II women's basketball national championship bracket. The regional pairings will be revealed at 9 pm (Central) on NCAA.com. Drury will host a watch party in The Lair inside the O'Reilly Family Event Center on Sunday with the team.
 
30-Wins in '22
Drury reached 30 victories in a single season for the seventh time in program history with their win in the GLVC semifinals over Missouri-St. Louis. Not counting last year's COVID-19 shortened season, the Lady Panthers have won 30 or more games in five straight seasons and seven different times (2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2006, 2004).
 
Seeking the sixth straight GLVC title
The Drury Lady Panthers have won eight GLVC championships, including the last five. Drury has won the league's tournament in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2010, and 2008. In the last seven years, the Lady Panthers have gone 22-1 in the league's postseason and are 33-8 in the GLVC Tournament all-time.
 
They are 12-4 in the league quarterfinals and have not lost in that round since 2014. The Lady Panthers are 11-1 in the semifinals and 8-2 in the championship game. Drury enters this postseason with 15 straight wins in the conference's postseason event.
 
Alana Findley on single-season charts 
Scoring
1. Hailey Diestelkamp (18-19), 758
--
6. Molly Carter (06-07), 526
7. Heather Harman (16-17), 521
8. Hope Hunt (03-04), 516
9. Alana Findley (21-22), 503
10. Amber Dvorak (13-14), 502
11. Katie Pritchard (09-10), 501
 
Rebounds
1. Hailey Diestelkamp (18-19), 316
2. Melanie Oliver (09-10), 311
3. Hailey Diestelkamp (17-18), 280
4. Hailey Diestelkamp (16-17), 269
5. Alana Findley (21-22), 266
6. Melanie Oliver (07-08), 255
7. Sanayika Shields (11-12), 249
 
QUICK FACTS
Record
Drury 30-4, 17-3 GLVC
Lewis 16-14, 11-8 GLVC
 
NCAA-II Ranking
Drury- #8
 
GLVC Seed
Drury- #2
Lewis- #5
 
Head Coach
Drury: Amy Eagan (2nd year, 54-6/13th year, 241-148)
Lewis: Matt Nelson (1^st year, 16-14)
 
Tournament Stat Leaders
Drury: Paige Robinson 19.3 ppg, .467 FG, 13/14 FT; Alana Findley 14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, .625 FG, 4 st pg; Kaylee DaMitz 14.0 ppg
Lewis: Grace Hilber 20.3 ppg, 10/20 3-pt, Kathryn Schmidt 16.7 ppg, 13/21 3-pt, 9 rpg, Taylor Gugluizza 15.7 ppg, .680 FG
 
Drury's GLVC Championships
2021, 2020, 2019, 2018,
2017, 2015, 2010, 2008
 
 
#allweDUiswin