SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drury Lady Panthers tip off their 2025-26 campaign on Sunday afternoon at Ferris State.
Drury is opening the season for the second consecutive season against the Bulldogs. Last season's meeting went in favor of Ferris State, 81-77. The 2025 edition of this meeting will only be the second time the two teams have met in Big Rapids. The first one was during the 2006-07 season, a 91-87 win for Ferris.
Fans may follow the action through
FloSports Basketball (subscription required). FloSports does not offer single-game pricing. A monthly subscription is $29.99 with an annual price of $150. All Drury Lady Panthers games will also have live audio coverage available on
DU All-Access for free with
Hudson Harkness on the call Sunday afternoon.
SERIES HISTORY VS FERRIS STATE
- Drury and Ferris State are meeting for the seventh time.
- Ferris State holds a 4-2 record against Drury.
- While playing in Big Rapids, Drury is 0-1.
- The loss in Big Rapids was the third game of the 2006-07 season, the year in which Drury reached the national championship.
- The Lady Panthers and Bulldogs opened the 2024-25 season in the O'Reilly Family Event Center. Ferris pulled out the four-point win, 81-77
STORYLINES
- Drury kicks off their 26th season in program history.
- In the first 25 seasons, the Lady Panthers hold the best record in NCAA Division II across that span, 655-132.
- Kaci Bailey enters her third season at the helm of the Lady Panthers.
- In Bailey's first two seasons, she posted a 47-14 record. Her record is tied for the third-best record for a Drury head coach in their first two seasons with Steve Harold. She trails only Amy Eagan (56-7) and Milly Miller (52-9).
- There are seven letter winners from last season returning for the 2025-26 campaign: Jazz Gray, Josie Storey, Audra Pasakarnis, Rhi Gibbons, Kaylee King, Sara Mendel, and Sophie Hessler.
- The Lady Panthers enter this season as the GLVC favorites, as voted on by league coaches.
- Drury is also receiving votes in the preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll.
- Drury will feature a new starting lineup from last season. The Lady Panthers return two starters from the 2024-25 season: Sara Mendel and Rhi Gibbons.
- The Bulldogs will be playing their fourth game of the season on Nov. 16.
- Ferris opened the season in the D2CCA Tip-off Classic hosted by Gannon, going 2-1 with wins over No.4 North Georgia and Cal (Pa.). The Bulldogs fell to No. 2 Union.
- Ferris returns four of their five starters from last season's Drury game: Mia Riley (First Team All-GLIAC), Mya Hiram (Second Team All-GLIAC), Elle Irwin (All-Defensive GLIAC), and Kadyn Blanchard (2023-24 First Team All-GLIAC).
- Kadyn Blanchard and Mia Riley were both named to the preseason all-GLIAC team.
- The Bulldogs were voted to finish third in the GLIAC behind Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan. They are also receiving votes in the preseason WBCA poll.
- 52.4% of Drury's offensive production returns for this season, led by Rhi Gibbons, who is 34% of the returning offense.
- The Lady Panthers led the GLVC in points per game a season ago, averaging 78.4.
- Under Coach Bailey, Drury is 1-1 in season openers and 1-2 against GLIAC opponents.
- Historically, the Lady Panthers are 21-4 in season debuts.
- When playing in Michigan, Drury is 5-6 all-time. Five of those meetings were neutral-site games in the NCAA-II Regional.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Lady Panthers travel across Michigan for a Tuesday morning tip against Saginaw Valley State. The game is set to start at 10 am Central.
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