Drury Panthers Game Preview
Drury Panthers at SBU Tipoff Classic
Nov. 10-11, 2023 – Bolivar, Mo.  
 
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Panthers start the 2023-24 season in Bolivar in SBU Tipoff Classic 
Drury starts their 114th season in intercollegiate basketball on Friday when they take on Thomas More at 5:30 pm on the first day of the Southwest Baptist Tipoff Classic in Bolivar, Missouri. The Panthers face Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday at 4 pm on the second day of the event.
 
While 11 players return from the Drury men's team, five newcomers are expected to make an immediate impact. The Panthers added size with 6-9 forward Riek Riek, a junior college transfer from Rochester, Minnesota, 6-8 freshman forward Juok Riak out of We Are United Prep, and 6-6 junior Ryan Gordon, a junior college transfer who is injured and hopes to be in the lineup by mid-December. In addition, Drury landed 6-3 guard Colin Hardrick, a freshman from We Are United Prep, and junior college transfer PJ Ngambi.
 
The Panthers return last year's GLVC Freshman of the Year, Logan Applegate. The Nevada, Missouri, product averaged 13.3 points and shot 39 percent from three-point range in his rookie season at the college level. Drury also brings back senior starters Quenton Shelton, a guard from Lebanon who averaged 10.3 points last year, and forwards Riley Naeger and Adam Moore. 
 
After this weekend's season-opening games, the Panthers play their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 14 against the University of the Ozarks. Tipoff is at 5:45 pm in the O'Reilly Family Event Center. 
 
About Thomas More
Thomas More enters their first season at the NCAA-II level and their first year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Saints went 23-9 last year and reached the NAIA Tournament where they advanced to the second round before being knocked out by fourth-ranked Montana Tech.
 
The Saints are picked ninth in the G-MAC preseason coaches poll. They return NAIA First Team All-American Reid Jolly, and All-Mid South Conference selections Casey George and Jacob Jones. Jolly averaged 17.3 points last year, while George put 11.6 points and Jones averaged 12.9.
 
Saints head coach Justin Ray is in his sixth season as the program's head coach and has gone 113-40 in five years.
 
Series vs. Thomas More
Friday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
About Trevecca Nazarene
Trevecca Nazarene has played two exhibition games and started the year with a 112-61 loss to Arkansas State on Oct. 25, then defeated Rhodes (NCAA-III) 103-63 at home on Nov. 4. The Trojans went 2-24 last year and will enter this season under the direction of new head coach Kevin Carroll. Carroll was the head coach at Maryville from 2010-17 and was an assistant at Lipscomb before arriving at TNU. The Trojans are picked 11th in the G-MAC preseason poll. They will feature 10 returners, three transfers and seven freshmen.  
 
Series vs. Trevecca Nazarene 
The Panthers are 6-0 all-time against Trevecca Nazarene on the court. Officially, Drury is 5-0 against the Trojans, with one win vacated by the NCAA. That game was an 88-69 Panthers win at Trevecca on Nov. 9, 2019.
 
The 2019 was the first meeting between the two programs since Dec. 19, 2001 when the Panthers defeated the Trojans 86-81 in the Bahamas. The two teams met as NAIA opponents on Nov. 24, 1984, in an 82-70 Panthers victory at Weiser Gym.
 
QUICK FACTS
Records (in 2022-23)
Drury: 9-19
TM: 23-9 (NAIA)
TN: 2-24
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Chris Foster (2nd yr., 12-21/9th year, 129-101)
TM: Justin Ray (6^th year, 113-40)
TN: Kevin Carroll (1^st year / 10^th year)
 
All-Time Record
First meeting vs. Thomas More
Drury 6-0 vs. Trevecca Nazarene (5-0 officially)
 
Last Meeting
Drury 88 Trevecca Nazarene 67 (Nov. 9, 2019 at TNU)
 
Next
Drury vs. Univ. of the Ozarks – Tue., Nov. 14, 2023
5:45 pm – O'Reilly Family Event Center
 
 
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