SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Third-seeded Drury and second-seeded Maryville meet Saturday afternoon with a spot in the GLVC Final on the line at 2:15 pm in the Mark Twain Building on the campus of Missouri-St. Louis.
The Lady Panthers won their first-round game over (6) Truman State on Friday afternoon behind
Sara Mendel's eighth 20-point double-double of the season. The Saints had to go to overtime with Quincy in their quarterfinal game on Thursday afternoon before pulling out the win over the shorthanded Hawks.
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 GLVC regular season and postseason broadcasts will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15. All Drury Lady Panthers games will also have free live audio coverage on DU All-Access.
SERIES HISTORY
- The Lady Panthers are 27-5 against the Saints since their first meeting in December of 2008.
- Maryville won its lone meeting this season.
- While playing at a neutral site, Drury is 2-1 against Maryville. All three of those games were in the GLVC Quarterfinals.
- Kaci Bailey is 2-2 in her Drury tenure against Maryville.
STORYLINES
- Drury has reached 20 wins for the 13th consecutive season and 23rd time in the program's 26-season history.
- The Lady Panthers finished the regular season as the second-highest scoring offense (73.3 points per game) only behind McKendree (73.9).
- The Lady Panthers have the defensive edge in opponent field goal percentage. Lady Panther opponents are just shooting 39.7%.
- Drury's 38.1% from behind the three-point line finished the regular season as the second-highest in NCAA Division II; only Tampa (39.8) is ahead of the Lady Panthers.
- The Lady Panthers guard the three-pointer well, too, only allowing opponents to shoot 26.3% this season from distance. Drury has held two different opponents this season to zero makes from beyond the arc.
- Drury is shooting 45.4% from the field this season, ninth best in NCAA-II.
- Sara Mendel leads the nation in field goal percentage with a 67.9%. Mendel also ranks nationally in double-doubles (second, 20), total rebounds (18th, 287), and rebounds per game (16th, 10.3).
- Entering the postseason, Mendel is one of two players in the Midwest region who are averaging a double-double. Mendel averaged 15.9 points and 10.1 rebounds. The other player is Jenna Slates from Ashland. She averaged 16.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
- Mendel has moved up the Lady Panthers' season record ranks. She is fifth in single-season rebounds (287). Only 20 Lady Panthers in program history have scored at least 475 points in a season; Mendel is 23 points away from that mark.
- On Rhi Gibbons' ninth point of the game against Truman State, she reached the 900 career point mark.
- Kaylee King passed 300 season points in the win over Truman State.
- King is 12th in the GLVC in assists per game with 2.5.
- The trio of Mendel, Gibbons, and King were all voted to the all-conference teams announced this week. Mendel earned first-team and all-defensive team. Gibbons was on the first team for the second consecutive season, and King was on the second team for the first time.
- When leading at halftime and to start the fourth quarter, the Lady Panthers are 17-1 this season.
- The Lady Panthers have recorded 148 steals this season, the fewest in a season for the program, which is 165. In the four games in which Drury has recorded more steals than their opponents, they are 4-0.
- In games that Drury shoots at least 70% from the free-throw line, they are 14-0.
- The Lady Panthers like to control the pace of the game and run. Drury is 16-1 in games where they score more fast-break points than their opponents.
- Drury is 11-0 in games they score at least 80 points this season, and also 11-0 in games they hold opponents under 60 points.
- Drury has reached 70 points before their opponents in 15 games this season, winning all of them.
- Last season, the three-seed won the tournament, setting a precedent for a team to win three games in three days.
- The Lady Panthers are 8-1 against the GLVC field this season; their only loss was to Maryville.
- Maryville sits as the second seed in the GLVC Tournament.
- The Saints are 22-6 overall and 16-4 in the GLVC entering the tournament.
- Maryville is on a four-game winning streak entering the weekend. They have won eight of their ten most recent games.
- The Saints get Quincy in the first round on Thursday afternoon.
- Maryville has a strong defense. They are allowing 57.6 points per game, and their opponents are shooting 35.3% from the field this season.
- The Saints' bench produces the best in the GLVC. They are scoring 35.3 points per game, which is also 14th best in NCAA Division II.
- Maryville is one of the most diverse teams in the GLVC, with players who can be the best player on any given night. Lindsey Schadewalt leads the Saints in scoring with 14.9.
- Annika Pluemer is strong defensively, averaging 1.9 steals per game, fifth-most in the GLVC.
- Maryville beat Drury in their lone meeting of the season on Jan. 15, 68-65 in St. Louis.
- The Lady Panthers are now 4-3 all-time in the GLVC Tournament as a three-seed. In the GLVC Semifinals, Drury is 12-2 all-time.
LOOKING AHEAD
The winner of the Drury and Maryville game will play the winner of Missouri-St. Louis and Lewis for a shot at the GLVC Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
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