Drury Lady Panthers Game Preview
Drury Lady Panthers at Pops Duncan Classic – Trevecca Nazarene
Nov. 10-11, 2023 – Nashville, Tenn.
 
Live Coverage
Radio: KICK 92.3 FM / 1340 AM
Audio: www.923kick.com, TuneIn app
Live Video: G-MAC Digital Network
Live Stats: tnutrojans.com
 
New-Look Lady Panthers open Friday in Nashville
The Drury Lady Panthers will make their season debut in the Pops Duncan Classic, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene on Friday and Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. Drury will open their 24^th season of intercollegiate women's basketball against Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday at 5 pm, then take on host Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday at 6 pm.
 
This year's Drury team will feature a new look as Kaci Bailey enters her first year as head coach. Bailey was the head coach at Quincy for two years and was an assistant at the Division I level for the previous nine seasons, including four at George Mason under former Lady Panthers head coach and current Drury Vice President & Director of Athletics, Nyla Milleson. Bailey was named to the post after Amy Eagan took the helm at Lindenwood (NCAA-I).
 
Bailey's Lady Panthers will feature a new starting five as Drury graduated four starters and lost one via transfer after finishing 2022-23 with a 31-2 record, a 20-0 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and a number eight ranking in the final NCAA-II poll. Drury returns six from last year's roster, including the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, Reese Schaaf. The Lady Panthers brought in nine newcomers, among them First Team All-GLVC Beth Matas Martin, who averaged 16.3 points last year as a member of the Quincy Hawks.
 
The Lady Panthers started their year with a 113-77 exhibition win over Lyon (Ark.) on Nov. 2. Martin led Drury with 17 points, while Schaaf had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
 
After Drury's games this weekend, the Lady Panthers return home to face Missouri Baptist for Hiland Dairy Kids Day on Nov. 16 at 11 am in the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
About Kentucky Wesleyan
Kentucky Wesleyan will also be playing their first game of the season on Friday. KWU went 23-7 last year, and 18-2 in the Great Midwest Athletics Conference. They advanced to the NCAA-II Tournament and lost in overtime to fifth-ranked Grand Valley State, 81-77.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan is picked second in the G-MAC preseason coaches poll and returns four seniors and two sophomores from last year's team. 
 
Series vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Drury is 12-2 all-time against Kentucky Wesleyan. The Lady Panthers opened last season against KWU and won 95-78 in Bolivar, Missouri, on Nov. 11.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan defeated Drury the last time the two teams played one another in Nashville as the Lady Panthers fell 76-75 on Nov. 13, 2021. The two teams met twice in 2018-19, winning 98-60 on Nov. 9, 2018 in Nashville, then 88-57 in Springfield on March 15, 2019 in the first round of the NCAA-II Tournament.
 
About Trevecca Nazarene
Trevecca Nazarene opens their season Friday against Southwest Baptist before facing Drury on Saturday. The Trojans won an exhibition game against Division I Austin Peay, 75-59, on Monday.
 
Trevecca Nazarene went 22-10, 15-5 in the G-MAC, and they were 14-0 at home last year. They reached in the NCAA-II Tournament and advanced to the second round with a 65-63 win over Michigan, then lost at Ashland, 73-49, in round two. Last year was Trevecca Nazarene's first 20-win season since 2012-13 and it marked their most wins as a D-II program.
 
The Trojans are picked 3rd in the G-MAC and received one first-place vote. They return six letter winners from last year's team.
 
Series vs. Trevecca Nazarene
Drury is 6-0 all-time against Trevecca Nazarene. The Lady Panthers won last year's meeting, 75-66, in the second game of the year on Nov. 12 in Bolivar. Drury had to rally and outscored the Trojans 16-5 in the fourth quarter after they trailed 61-59 going into the final period.
 
Drury has played Trevecca Nazarene every year since 2015, with the exception of COVID-19 adjusted season of 2020-21. Four of those meetings have been in Nashville.
 
Pops Duncan Classic Schedule
Friday: Kentucky Wesleyan vs. DRURY, 5 pm
Southwest Baptist at Trevecca Nazarene, 7 pm
 
Saturday: Kentucky Wesleyan vs. Southwest Baptist, 4 pm
DRURY at Trevecca Nazarene, 6 pm
 
QUICK FACTS
Records (in 2022-23)
Drury: 31-2
KW: 23-7
TN: 22-10
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Kaci Bailey (1^st year / 3^rd year, 22-36)
KW: Caleb and Nicole Nieman (13^th year, 235-106)
TN: Karen Booker (2^nd year 22-10 / 6^th year, 48-86)
                                                     
All-Time Record
Drury 12-2 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Drury 6-0 vs. Trevecca Nazarene
 
Last Meeting
Drury 95 Kentucky Wesleyan 58 (Nov. 11, 2022 at Bolivar, Mo.)
Drury 77 Trevecca Nazarene 66 (Nov. 12, 2022 at Bolivar, Mo.)
 
Next Game
Drury vs. Missouri Baptist – Thur., Nov. 16, 2023
11 am – O'Reilly Family Event Center 
 
#allweDUiswin