Drury Panthers Game Preview
Drury Panthers (0-0) at Thomas More Saints (0-0)
Fri., Nov. 8, 2024 – 6 pm
Connor Convocation Center – Crestview Hills, Ky.      
 
Live Coverage
Radio- KICK 92.3 FM / 1340 AM
Live Audio- 923kick.com, TuneIn app
Live Video: Great Midwest Digital Network
Live Stats: thomasmoresaints.com
 
Panthers open 2024-25 season on Friday at Thomas More
Drury begins its 116th season of intercollegiate basketball on Friday night as they take on Thomas More at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview, Ky. Tipoff is at 6 pm (Central).
 
The Panthers return 11 players and four starters from last year's team that finished 15-13, a six-game improvement from 2022-23.
 
Among the starters back in the Drury line-up is Logan Applegate, an all-conference selection last year. Applegate, a junior from Nevada, Missouri, averaged 13.7 points and five rebounds in 2023-24. Juok Riak is also back and was on the Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Freshman Team last year. The 6-8 sophomore put in 13.1 points and shot .603 from the field. Brock Wakefield, a senior from Annapolis, Missouri, returns after being named the GLVC All-Defensive Team for the second straight season. Wakefield averaged 7.6 points in '23-24.
 
Head coach Chris Foster begins his fourth season leading the Drury program. It is Foster's 11th year as a collegiate head coach after stops at Truman State and McKendree. 
 
Thomas More is also playing their season opener on Friday night. The Saints went 19-12 in their first year as an NCAA-II program. Thomas More went 12-3 at home last season and 12-8 in their inaugural season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
Drury and Thomas More also opened the season against one another last year in the only meeting in program history between the two teams. The Panthers won that game 73-70 in Bolivar, Missouri, as part of the SBU Tipoff Classic.
 
After Friday's game, the Panthers return to action on Nov. 16 when they host Rogers State for a 3 pm game in the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
About Thomas More
 
After finishing fourth in the G-MAC last year, Thomas More was selected for an eighth-place finish in the league's preseason coaches poll. The Saints return eight players from last year's squad. Their top returning scorer is Casey George (G, 6-0, Sr.), who was fourth on their team in scoring last year, averaging 9.1 points. Wyatt Vieth (G, 6-3, Sr.) played in 29 games and made 18 starts while averaging 5.9 points.
 
Thomas More reached the NAIA National Tournament in the last four years before joining the NCAA and, in 2021-22, went 31-5 and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament semifinals.
 
Thomas More is a Catholic university with an enrollment of approximately 2,000. Former Major League Baseball player and All-Star David Justice didn't play a sport for the Saints but attended Thomas More as a student.
 
Next
Drury vs. Rogers St. – Sat., Nov. 16, 2024
3 pm – O'Reilly Family Event Center
 
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