Drury Lady Panthers Game Preview
#2 Drury Lady Panthers (25-1, 18-0) vs. Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars (4-22, 4-14) 
Thur., Feb. 23, 2023 – 5:45 pm – O'Reilly Family Event Center   
 
Tickets
$12 (kids 12 and under FREE)
Order Online
417-873-7000
 
Promotion
Senior Week
 
Live Coverage
Radio: KICK 92.3 FM / 1340 AM
Audio: www.923kick.com, TuneIn app
Live Video: GLVCSN.com/drury
Live Stats: drurypanthers.com
 
Second-Ranked Drury hosts Illinois Springfield
The second-ranked Drury Lady Panthers play their final two games of the regular season this week, starting with a Thursday game against Illinois Springfield.
 
Drury is 25-1, 18-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and winners of 21 straight games. The Lady Panthers won twice on the road last week, with an 86-79 win at Indianapolis, then an 81-54 victory at McKendree.
 
Illinois Springfield is 4-22 and 4-14 in the GLVC. Two of the Prairie Stars' four wins have come in their last three games as they defeated William Jewell 89-57 on Saturday in their last game, and they picked up an 81-59 win at Quincy on Feb. 11.
 
Drury concludes the regular season on Saturday when they host Lewis at 3 pm. The Lady Panthers will honor their graduating players in a ceremony before the game at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
DaMitz-Holt closes in on 2,000 career points
Drury guard Kaylee DaMitz-Holt passed 1,900 career points in last Thursday's win at Indianapolis. The graduate student from Preston, Missouri, and Skyline HS enters Thursday's game with 1,915 points combining her totals at Pittsburg State and Drury. DaMitz-Holt played three seasons at Pitt State where she scored 1,015 points. She also reached 600 career assists in Drury's Feb. 11 win over Missouri-St. Louis and enters Thursday's game with a total of 610.
 
DaMitz-Holt has scored 900 points with Drury in her two years with the Lady Panthers.
 
Lady Panthers hit 600 W's
In Thursday's win at Indianapolis, the Drury women's basketball won their 600th game in program history, giving them an all-time record of 600-117. Their .838 winning percentage is the best mark in Division II. Drury has seen their win total jump, having gone 211-16 (.930) since 2016-17. 
 
All-Time series
Drury has won all 17 games in their team history against Illinois Springfield, including the earlier meeting this season, 82-63, on Jan. 14 at UIS.
 
Last Meeting
Drury 82 Illinois Springfield 63 (Jan. 14, 2023, at UIS)
-- Drury led 38-26 at halftime, then outscored the Prairie Stars 30-18 in the third quarter
-- Reese Schaaf came off the bench to lead the Lady Panthers with 16 points and 11 rebounds; her 11 boards are still a season-high
-- Brianna Zajicek had a game-high 22 points for Illinois Springfield
 -- Liz Uhl added 21 points for the Prairie Stars
-- Drury forced 24 turnovers against Illinois Springfield
 
Last Game
Drury 81 McKendree 54 (Sat., at McK)
 -- Alana Findley had 23 points and 9 rebounds to lead Drury
-- Mia Henderson added 14 points and 8 boards for the Lady Panthers
-- Drury forced 22 turnovers while only committing 11
-- Kaylee DaMitz-Holt had 7 assists and 13 points
 -- The Lady Panthers went 14 for 15 at the free throw line
-- Naomi McDaniel had 14 points to lead McKendree
 
Drury still number two in latest NCAA-II poll 
For the sixth week in a row, the Drury Lady Panthers are the number two ranked team in the nation at the NCAA-II level. The top three teams in the national poll stayed the same as Ashland (27-0) remained number one, the Lady Panthers are second, and Tampa (25-1) is third. Grand Valley State, also in the Midwest Region, is ranked fifth this week.
 
The week's poll marks the 149th consecutive week the Lady Panthers have been ranked in the top 25, the longest such streak in the nation. It is also their 87th straight week to be ranked in the top 10.
 
QUICK FACTS
Records
Drury: 25-1, 18-0, ranked #2 NCAA-II
UIS: 4-22, 4-14
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Amy Eagan (3rd yr., 81-8/14th yr., 268-150)
UIS: Summer Quessenberry (1^st yr,. 4-22/4^th yr., 28-69) 
 
Streak
Drury: Won 21
UIS: Won 1
 
Last Five Games
Drury: 5-0
UIS: 2-3
 
All-Time Record
Drury 17-0
 
Last Meeting
Drury 82 Illinois Springfield 63 (Jan. 14, 2023, at UIS)
 
Next Game
Drury vs. Lewis – Sat., Feb. 25, 2023
3 pm – O'Reilly Family Event Center 
 
 
#allweDUiswin