Drury Lady Panthers Game Preview
#23 Drury Lady Panthers (23-5, 18-4) vs. Rockhurst Hawks (15-12, 12-10)
Fri., March 8, 2024 – GLVC Quarterfinals – Hyland Arena – St. Charles, Mo.
 
Tickets
$15, $7.50 (student)
Order Tickets
 
Live Coverage
Radio: KICK 92.3 FM / 1340 AM
Audio: 923kick.com, TuneIn app
Live Video: GLVCSN
Live Stats: glvcsports.com
 
Tournament Central
 
Tournament Schedule
Thursday
#1 Lewis vs. #8 UMSL, noon
#2 McKendree vs. #7 Upper Iowa, 2:15 pm
 
Friday
#4 Maryville vs. #5 Ill. Springfield, noon
#3 DRURY vs. #6 Rockhurst, 2:15 pm
 
Saturday
Lewis/UMSL vs. MU/UIS, noon
DU/RU vs. McK/UIU, 2:15
 
Sunday
Championship, 1 pm 
 
Lady Panthers start GLVC title defense on Friday
The Drury Lady Panthers, seeded third, take on sixth-seeded Rockhurst on Friday at 2:15 pm in St. Charles, Mo. in the Great Lakes Valley Conference quarterfinals. The winner will play the winner of second-seeded McKendree and number seven seed Upper Iowa on Saturday at 2:15 pm in the league semifinals.
 
Drury is ranked 23rd in NCAA-II and ended the regular season 23-5 and 18-4 in the GLVC. Rockhurst is 15-11 and went 12-10 in the conference.
 
Aiming for eight straight
The Lady Panthers will be looking for their eighth straight GLVC championship this weekend. Drury has won a total of 10 GLVC titles (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2010 and 2008). The Lady Panthers have gone 26-1 in the league's postseason in the last nine years and are 37-8 all-time in the GLVC tournament.
 
Drury is 13-4 all-time in the GLVC quarterfinals and has not lost in that round since 2014. The Lady Panthers are 12-1 in the semifinals and 10-2 in the championship game. Drury has won 21 straight GLVC tournament games.
 
Why Drury is the third seed
The Lady Panthers had the league's second-best conference record, finished two games better than second-seeded McKendree, and beat the Bearcats 87-75 on Feb. 17, but the GLVC uses a Point Rating System to determine the standings and tournament seeding. The Point Rating System assigns points for wins and losses against opponents, depending on their GLVC record. Drury tied McKendree with a PRS score of 3.93.
 
According to the league's tie-breaker rule, Drury's win over McKendree was thrown out since the home team won in the only game of the season series. The next tie-breaker is head-to-head vs. the top teams in the league. Drury went 0-1 vs. top-seeded Lewis (DU lost on the road, but the 'home team winning the lone meeting' caveat is no longer a factor at this stage of the tie-breaker, apparently), and McKendree went 1-1 vs. the Flyers to win the tie-breaker for the number two seed.  
 
2023-24 Series vs. Rockhurst
Drury 85 Rockhurst 67 (Feb. 8 at RU)
-- Drury trailed 35-32 at halftime, then outscored the Hawks 53-32 in the second half
-- Caitlynn Daniels and Reese Schaaf both had 25 points, while Schaaf added 10 rebounds
-- Macie Conway led Rockhurst with 19 points on 7 of 20 shooting
 
Drury 77 Rockhurst 49 (Jan. 6, at DU)
-- The Lady Panthers trailed 17-10 after the first quarter and the score was tied at 30-30 at the half
-- Drury held the Hawks to 19 points in the second half and only five points in the fourth quarter
-- Beth Matas Martin led Drury with 15 points while Reese Schaaf had 12 points and 10 boards
 
Drury is sixth in Midwest Region Rankings
Drury heads to the GLVC Tournament ranked sixth in the Midwest Region. Grand Valley State moved into first in this week's ranking, while Ashland slipped to second. Drury is the only GLVC team ranked among the region's top 10 teams.
 
Lady Panthers last game
Drury 93 Truman St. 68 (Sat., at DU)
-- Reese Schaaf scored a career-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds
-- The Lady Panthers led 38-35 at the half, then blew open the lead outscoring Truman St. 29-10 in the third quarter
-- Caitlynn Daniels had 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting
-- Ellie Weltha had 22 points and 9 rebounds in the final game of her career
 
Martin passes 1,000 career points
Drury guard Beth Matas Martin surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 11 in a win at home over Maryville. Matas Martin has 1,208 points in her four-year college career. The graduate student from Spain scored 786 points in two seasons at Quincy, then transferred to Drury and has 424 this season with the Lady Panthers.
 
Lady Panthers on single season charts
Daniels on single-season assist charts
1. Daejah Bernard (2018-19), 211
2. Daejah Bernard (2019-20), 174
3. Ja'Nell Jones (2009-10), 167
4. Caitlynn Daniels (2023-24), 161
5. Heather Harman (2016-17), 151
 
Reese Schaaf nearing top season rebounding marks
1. Hailey Diestelkamp (2018-19), 316
2. Melanie Oliver (2009-10), 311
3. Hailey Diestelkamp (2017-18), 290
4. Alana Findley (2021-22), 286
5. Reese Schaaf (2023-24), 273
6. Hailey Diestelkamp (2016-17), 269
 
Martin among Drury's single-season three-point leaders
1. Lindsay Ballweg (2009-10), 112
...
5. Paige Robinson (2018-19), 89
6. Hope Hunt (2003-04), 79
7. Beth Matas Martin (2023-24), 76
8. Bethanie Funderburk (2010-11), 75
 
QUICK FACTS
Records
Drury: 23-5, 18-4, #23 NCAA-II
RU: 15-11, 12-10
 
Seeds
Drury: #3
RU: #6
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Kaci Bailey (1^st yr., 23-5 / 3^rd yr., 45-41)  
RU: Larry Park (15^th year, 160-236)
 
Streak
Drury: Won 2
RU: Lost 1
 
Last Game
Drury won vs. Truman St., 93-68 (Sat.)
RU lost vs. Maryville, 85-60 (Sat.)
 
Last Five Games
Drury: 4-1
RU: 3-2
 
All-Time Series
Drury 45-2
 
2023-24 Series
Drury 77 Rockhurst 49
(Jan. 6 at DU)
 
Drury 85 Rockhurst 67
(Feb. 8 at RU)
 
#allweDUiswin