Drury Panthers Game Preview
Drury Panthers (14-13, 7-12) vs. Truman St. Bulldogs (15-12, 12-7)
Sat., March 2, 2024 – 3 pm – O'Reilly Family Event Center
 
Tickets
$12 (kids 12 and under FREE)
Order Online
417-873-7000
 
Live Coverage
Radio- KICK 92.3 FM / 1340 AM
Live Audio- 923kick.com, TuneIn app
Live Video
Live Stats
 
Promotion
Senior Day
 
Drury takes on Truman State in regular season finale
The Drury Panthers host Truman State for the final game of the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday in the O'Reilly Family Event Center. Saturday is also Senior Day, and the Panthers will honor graduating players Riley Naeger and Adam Moore before the 3 pm game in a special ceremony.
 
Drury enters Saturday's game 14-13 and 7-12 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Panthers are looking to come back from an 84-73 loss at home to Upper Iowa on Thursday.
 
Truman State is 15-12 and 12-7 in the GLVC. The Bulldogs held Southwest Baptist to 40 points on Thursday in a 61-40 win in Bolivar and enters Saturday's game in third place in the league's Point Rating System standings. Truman State has gone 11-3 since Jan. 13 after a 4-9 start to their season.
 
Truman State won the earlier meeting between the two teams this season with a 68-63 victory over the Panthers on Jan. 20 in Kirksville. Drury leads the all-time against Truman State 11-10.
 
Drury will be looking for their third-straight win in a season-ended game. Last year, the Panthers defeated Lewis in overtime in the final game of the season, and Drury got won against Illinois Springfield in the final game of 2021-22. Both wins were decided at the buzzer with Victor Ngwagbarachoa hitting a buzzer-beater in '22, and Riley Naeger connecting on a game-winner as time expired last year.
 
About Truman State
Truman State is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league, ranking second in the GLVC in three-point percentage (.391) and second in three's made with 10.7 per game. They also lead the conference in free throw shooting with a .779 percentage.
 
Trey Shearer leads the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 12.9 points. Shearer is sixth in the GLVC in three-pointers made, with 2.2 per game, and he is seventh in three-point percentage (.399). Xavier Hall is second in the GLVC in assists, averaging 4.8. 
 
Previous Meeting 
Truman St. 68 Drury 63 (Jan. 20, 2024 at TSU)
-- Drury trailed 23-5 eight minutes into the game, then fought back to pull within one at halftime, 39-38
-- Matt Haefner led the Bulldogs with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and was 8 for 11 from the field
 -- Logan Applegate had a double-double for the Panthers, with 16 points and 10 rebounds
-- Drury was without Riley Naeger and Juok Riak was injured in the game's opening minutes
 
All-Time series  vs. Truman St.
Drury leads the all-time series against Truman State 12-11 (officially
11-10 after the NCAA vacated a win from the Panthers in 2020). The Bulldogs won the earlier match-up this season with a 68-63 win over the Panthers on Jan. 20.
 
The Bulldogs won the lone meeting last year, 79-63, on Jan. 21, 2023 in Springfield. The two teams did not play in the 2021-22 season.
 
Drury's last game
Upper Iowa 84 Drury 73 (Thur. at DU)
 -- Upper Iowa led 42-39 at halftime
 -- Brock Wakefield scored a career-high 20 points for Drury
-- Upper Iowa shot 50 percent, going 32 for 64 from the field
-- Drury out-rebounded the Peacocks 42-33
-- Jake Hilmer led six Upper Iowa players who scored in double-figures with 19 points
 
QUICK FACTS
Records
Drury: 14-13, 7-12
TSU: 15-12, 12-7
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Chris Foster (3^rd yr., 33-48 / 10th yr., 150-128)
TSU: Jeff Horner (6^th year, 106-68)
 
Streak
Drury: Lost 1
TSU: Won 2
 
Last Game
Drury lost vs Upper Iowa 84-73 (Thur.)
TSU won at Southwest Baptist 61-40 (Thur.)
 
Last 5 Games
Drury: 2-3
TSU: 4-1
 
All-Time Series
Drury 12-11
 
Previous Meeting
Truman St. 68 Drury 62
(Jan. 20, 2024 at TSU)
 
 
 
#allweDUiswin