BOLIVAR, Mo.— Drury survived a rally from Thomas More to win their season-opening game, 73-70, at the SBU Tipoff Classic in Bolivar, Missouri, on Friday.
 
The Panthers owned a 33-28 lead at halftime and had a 16-point lead with 6:40 remaining. The Saints roared back and pulled within three with 2:12 left, then went ahead for the first time in the game with 41 seconds left on a lay-up by Kyle Ross.
 
Last year's GLVC Freshman of the Year, Logan Applegate, put Drury back in front with a lay-up with 31 seconds left. Adam Moore blocked a shot on Thomas More's next possession, and Quenton Shelton hit two free throws with seven seconds remaining to give the Panthers a three-point advantage. The Saints missed two foul shots in the closing seconds and Drury hung on for the win.
 
Applegate led the Panthers with 14 points and seven rebounds. Shelton added 13 points and six boards, and Moore came off the bench to score 11 points on 4 for 5 shooting from the field.
 
Reid Jolly, Kyle Ross, and Jacob Jones each had 16 points to lead Thomas More, a team that went 23-9 and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Saints were playing their first game as an NCAA-II program.
 
Drury shot 55 percent from the field, hitting 26 of their 47 shots, and went 4 for 12 from three-point range. The Panthers sank 17 of 21 free throw attempts, while the Saints were 12 of 23 from the line. Thomas More went 26 for 59 from the field for 44 percent shooting. Drury owned a 35-26 rebounding advantage.
 
The Panthers play their second game of the SBU Tipoff Classic on Saturday when they take on Trevecca Nazarene at 4 pm in Bolivar, Missouri.
 
 
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