Drury Panthers (8-8, 3-5 GLVC) at (RV) McKendree Bearcats (12-4, 5-3 GLVC)
Opponent	(RV) McKendree
Date | Tip	Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m.
Location  | Site	Lebanon, Ill. | Harry M. Statham Sports Center (1,600)
Game Links	Drury Game Notes | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Follow	X: @DruryMBB | IG: @DruryMBB

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury men's basketball will bid for its third-straight victory Saturday (Jan. 17) when it takes on McKendree in a 3 p.m., Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Ill.

Drury (8-8, 3-5 GLVC) is coming off its first road victory of the season with its 82-68 win at Maryville Thursday evening. The Panthers shot a GLVC season-high .516 from the field and received 20-point performances from Isaiah Otyaluk (25) and KeShaun Thomas (20) to climb back to the .500 mark.

McKendree (12-4, 5-3 GLVC) held off Southwest Baptist in a 69-62 game Thursday in Lebanon and has won two of its last three contests since seeing its five-game win streak come to an end on Jan. 4. The Bearcats are receiving votes in the NABC Division II coaches poll for the third straight week thanks to its best start as a Division II program.

Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where games will be streamed live throughout the regular season. New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular season and postseason contests will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15. 

Audio broadcasts for all Drury men's basketball games in 2025-26 will be streamed online through the DU All-Access button via DruryPanthers.com. Fans may access the audio streams by visiting the 2025-26 schedule page for the Panthers and selecting the "Listen" link, or via the DU All Access button located on the home page.

SERIES HISTORY

• Drury brings a 17-8 series advantage over McKendree into Saturday's game.
• The Panthers have claimed five of the last seven meetings with the Bearcats, including an 84-70 victory last January in Springfield.
• Since McKendree joined the GLVC in 2013-14, DU has compiled a 10-4 overall mark against the Bearcats, including a 4-2 record vs. McKendree in Lebanon.
• The Panthers are 3-2 vs. McKendree under Chris Foster, who has gone 7-2 overall against his former team over his 12-year career.

ABOUT McKENDREE

• The Bearcats enter Saturday's game 12-4 overall and 5-3 in GLVC play after knocking off Southwest Baptist, 69-62 on Thursday in Lebanon.
• McKendree is receiving votes in this week's NABC D-II poll under fifth-year head coach George Suggs.
• The Bearcats are averaging 71.4 points per game, led by Cha'Vez Woods' 15.8 ppg average; three additional Bearcats are averaging in double figures, including Rini Harris (12.9), Noah Franklin (11.3) and Andrew Moore (11.2).
• On the defensive end of the floor, McKendree brings a GLVC-best 60.9 ppg scoring defense into the contest, while holding the opposition to .368 shooting, which also paces the conference.
  

ABOUT DRURY

• Under fifth-year head coach Chris Foster, Drury is coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2019-21 after going 14-13 a year ago and 15-13 in 2023-24. 
• As a team, the Panthers are scoring at an 82.8 ppg clip, while allowing an average of 76.6 points per outing.
• Drury is paced by an offense that features three double-figure scorers, led by junior guard Zach Howell (16.7 ppg) and sophomore guard Colin Hardrick (14.4). 
• Howell is DU's leading returning scorer, while Hardrick earned GLVC All-Freshman and All-Defensive team honors last winter after averaging 10.2 points, 6.7 boards and 2.0 steals per outing.
• Junior guard Luke Stubbs has returned from an injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2024-25 season, making 13 starts and averaging 8.1 points per outing to date.
• Several talented newcomers have contributed significantly in their first eight weeks as Panthers: freshman KeShaun Thomas (16.2 ppg) has been a dominant force in the paint, scoring in double-figures in 13 of the Panthers' 16 games, including four double-doubles; fellow rookie Keion Epps is averaging 7.2 points, in addition to his GLVC-best 5.6 assist-per-game average; redshirt freshman Isaiah Otyaluk has provided a lift in his first season at Drury as well, including a trio of 20-point performances.
  

LAST TIME OUT

• Drury rode an early 12-0 scoring run and its best shooting effort in GLVC play this season to an 82-68 road victory over Maryville Thursday evening at Moloney Arena in St. Louis.
• Three DU freshmen — Isaiah Otyaluk, Keion Epps and KeShaun Thomas — combined for 49 points as the Panthers shot .516 from the field to register their second-consecutive conference victory.
• DU's team field goal percentage narrowly edged a 50.8-percent night against Rockhurst (Jan. 2) for its top percentage of the season and marked the Panthers' best shooting performance in GLVC play since a .526 effort in an 89-77 win over Missouri S&T on March 1, 2025.
• Otyaluk matched a career high with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including seven points during DU's string of 12-straight points that turned an early four-point deficit into a 20-12 advantage. 
• Epps logged his first double-double as a Panther, finishing with career bests in rebounding (11) and assists (10). 

PANTHERS IN THE RANKINGS

• The Panthers rank among the GLVC's top clubs in a number of categories entering the weekend, including the second-best steal (9.1), assist (15.7) and blocked shot (3.6) per game averages in the conference.
• Drury also rated among the conference's best teams in turnovers forced per contest (14.7), offensive rebounds per game (12.6) and scoring offense (82.8), ranking third in each category.
• The Panthers lead the GLVC and rank seventh nationally in total home attendance of 8,962 fans over their first 10 home contests this season at O'Reilly Family Event Center.
• Individually, Keion Epps' 5.6 assists per game is the top individual average in the GLVC and 15th nationally, while his team-leading average of 1.9 steals ranks seventh in the league.
• Zach Howell leads the GLVC and ranks ninth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.470); he also ranks fifth nationally in three-point field goals made (54), while his 1.6 steals per contest average rank ninth in the conference.
• KeShaun Thomas is fourth in the GLVC in free throws made (79) fifth in field goal percentage (.506) and ninth in free-throw percentage (.814).
• Colin Hardrick ranks seventh in the GLVC in total steals (26) and ninth in total rebounds (109).
  

EPPS EXTRA HELPFUL

• Drury freshman Keion Epps has been the Panthers' top ball distributor all season, but the Springfield product was particularly helpful in Thursday's win at Maryville, handing out a career-best 10 assists.
• Epps' double-digit assist total was the first by a Panther since Conley Garrison recorded 10 assists vs. Pittsburg State on Dec. 22, 2019.
• Epps currently leads the GLVC in assists per game (5.6) and is on pace to rack up 128 helpers during the regular season; that figure would be the top season total by a DU player since Garrison handed out 149 assists in 2019-20.

GRAND LARCENY

• The Panthers have recorded an average of 9.1 steals as per game, which is good for the No. 2 average in the GLVC.
• Drury ranks 51st nationally in steals per game at the Division II level, paced by freshman Keion Epps' 1.9 average.
• Drury is on pace to post 254 steals during the regular season, which would rank 11th on DU's single-season list.
• The Panthers have converted those 145 steals into an average of 15.9 points per game off of turnovers.

NEW PANTHERS PROVIDE A LIFT

• Drury's talented eight-man 2025 recruiting class has made an immediate impact for the Panthers over the season's first 16 games.
• Three Drury freshmen — Isaiah Otyaluk, Keion Epps and KeShaun Thomas — combined for 49 points in Thursday's road victory over Maryville.
• Thomas has asserted himself in the Panthers' lineup, starting his DU career with 13 double-digit point totals in 16 games, including four double-doubles.
• Thomas, who became the first Drury freshman to earn a GLVC Player of the Week award since the 2011-12 season last week, turned in three consecutive 20+ point outings, Dec. 21-Jan. 4; Logan Applegate was the last Panther to accomplish that feat when he averaged 25.7 points over three games, Jan. 5-12, 2023.
• Like Thomas, Epps has shown off his diverse skill set early in his DU career and brings a conference-leading average of 5.6 assists per contest into Saturday's game; the Springfield Central High School product is averaging 7.2 points as well.
• Finally, Otyaluk has turned in significant performances as well, including a 25-point effort in Thursday's win at Maryville, marking Cary, N.C. native's third 20+ point game of the season.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Panthers return to O'Reilly Family Event Center Thursday (Jan. 22) for a 7:45 p.m. GLVC matchup against Illinois Springfield.

For all the latest information on Drury men's basketball, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.

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