DU notes vs Mich Tech NCAA tourney.indd
201 3-14
DRURY PANTHERS
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#8 DRURY PANTHERS (27-3) vs. MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES (24-7) NCAA-II MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL - O’REILLY FAMILY EVENT CENTER Tuesday, March 18, 2014 - 7 p.m. CST Radio: JOCK 98.7 FM TV: none Webcast: drurypanthers.com/showcase PANTHERS, HUSKIES MEET IN MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL The defending national champion Drury Panthers are back on a familiar stage on Tuesday night, when the top seed takes on No. 6 seed Michigan Tech for the NCAA-II Midwest Regional championship and an Elite Eight berth at the O’Reilly Family Event Center. The Panthers advanced to the finals by edging eight-seed Wisconsin-Parkside 69-64 on Saturday night, then thumping No. 5 seed Lake Superior State 79-61 on Sunday. Michigan Tech, from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, arrived by knocking off two of the GLVC’s top squads, beating No. 3 seed and GLVC champion Southern Indiana 75-70 in the opening round before downing No. 2 seed Indianapolis 82-76 on Sunday. While Drury is back in the regional final at The O’ for the second straight year - the Panthers are 5-0 in NCAAII games at the O’Reilly Center, where they’ve now also won 25 consecutive games - Michigan Tech is in the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program’s history. The Huskies had been 0-7 in regional semifinal games before their win over UIndy. SCOUTING THE HUSKIES Coach Kevin Luke is in his 20th season at Michigan Tech, where he’s the school’s all-time winningest coach with 362 victories. His Huskies lost 7662 to Drury in last year’s regional semifinals at The O’, but that team was based around now-graduated, 6-9 standout Ali Haidar. The current MTU squad is guard-oriented and led by 6-3 senior Austin Armga (23.3 points per game) and 6-1 junior Ben Stelzer (17.7 ppg). Armga scored 30 points and Stelzer had 20 in the first-round win over Southern Indiana, while Stelzer went off for 32 points - all in the second half - in the semis against UIndy. Armga led Tech with 21 points in last year’s loss to Drury, while Stelzer was held to seven. The Huskies lead the nation in free-throw percentage (.809) and are third in 3-point FG percentage (.422), in addition to fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.1). QUICK HITS ... This is the third meeting between Drury and Michigan Tech. In addition to last year’s Panthers victory in the regional, Tech defeated DU 82-61 on November 22, 1996 in Mankato, Minn. ... The Panthers are 16-0 this season at The O’, where they’ve won 25 straight and 38 of their last 39 games. Drury is 58-5 all-time in the four-year-old arena. ... The Panthers are 12-1 this season in games decided by five points or less and 52-20 in such games in Hesser’s 10-year DU career. ... Sunday’s win over Lake Superior State came in Hesser’s 300th game as a college coach, all at Drury. He’s now 222-78 in that time. It was also Hesser’s 150th home game, and he’s won an amazing 132 of them. ... Senior center Ian Carter (993 points) needs seven points to become the 41st Panther in the program’s history to top the 1,000-point milestone for his career. ... Either Kameron Bundy or Cameron Adams has led the Panthers in scoring in 28 of their 30 games this season, including their last 16. ... Drury is in the NCAA-II post-season field for the ninth time since moving to that level in 1994-95. The Panthers are 11-7 all-time in NCAA tourney games, including 9-5 under Hesser, who now has won his last eight NCAA post-season games after starting 1-5 over his first eight seasons. ... The Drury-Michigan Tech winner will play the East StroudsburgWest Liberty East Regional finals winner next Wednesday (March 26) in the Elite Eight at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., with a 6 p.m. tipoff. ...
PLAYERS TO WATCH DRURY PANTHERS (27-3) PROBABLE STARTERS 3 - Kameron Bundy, 6-2 so. (17.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.7 apg) 11 - Drake Patterson, 6-4 jr. (6.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg) 14 - Lonnie Boga, 6-2 sr. (6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 apg) 23 - Ian Carter, 6-6 sr. (9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.6 apg) 24 - Cameron Adams, 6-5 jr. (17.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.6 apg)
KEY RESERVES 41 - Sean Osler, 6-5 jr. (5.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg) 31 - Mike Nwelue, 6-5 jr. (5.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 apg) 32 - Wendell Pierre, 6-2 jr. (3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES (24-7) PROBABLE STARTERS 1 - Austin Armga, 6-3 sr. (23.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.4 apg) 5 - Ben Stelzer, 6-1 jr. (17.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 apg) 3 - Alex Culy, 6-2 sr. (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg) 24 - Luke Heller, 6-6 so. (4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg) 15 - Troy Hecht, 6-3 jr. (3.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg)
KEY RESERVES 40 - Kyle Stankowski, 6-9 so. (4.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.2 apg) 11 - Jordan Chartier, 6-2 so. (4.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg) 14 - Connor McLeod, 6-8 so. (2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg)
2013-14 SCHEDULE/RESULTS 11/8 Webster W 87-63 11/12 @SW Baptist W 97-70 11/22 Southwestern W 95-52 11/29 NW Mo State W 74-72 11/30 Cameron W 70-66 OT 12/5 Mo S&T W 96-86 12/7 Central Christian W 92-63 12/18 Livingstone W 81-80 12/19 Nova Southeastern W 75-71 1/3 Saint Joseph’s W 80-66 1/5 Indianapolis W 83-69 1/9 @Bellarmine L 85-77 1/11 @Southern Indiana W 64-56 1/16 Rockhurst W 104-69 1/18 William Jewell W 79-56
1/23 Missouri-St. Louis W 76-73 1/25 Maryville W 61-58 1/30 @Quincy W 92-87 OT 2/1 @Truman State W 88-78 2/6 @McKendree W 78-74 2/8 @Ill-Springfield W 66-59 2/13 UW-Parkside W 54-52 2/15 Lewis W 56-53 2/20 @William Jewell L 65-60 2/22 @Rockhurst W 77-73 OT 2/27 @Mo S & T W 88-67 3/7 vs. Ill Springfield W 72-64 3/8 vs. So. Indiana L 75-57 3/15 vs. UW-Parkside W 69-64 3/16 vs. Lake Superior St W 79-61
HEAD COACH STEVE HESSER Steve Hesser, now in his 10th season as the Drury men’s basketball head coach, has established the Panthers’ program as an annual contender for both Great Lakes Valley Conference and NCAA-II honors after DU captured both titles in their banner 2012-13 campaign. Hesser owns a 222-78 mark in his time at Drury, a .738 winning percentage that ranks among the top in the nation and in Drury’s storied basketball history. His Panthers have won 20 or more games now in eight of his 10 seasons and won or shared five GLVC West titles in seven years as a league member. Drury has also qualified for the NCAA-II Tournament in six of his nine seasons, including the benchmark 2012-13 campaign, when his Panthers finished 31-4 overall, won a school-record 23 straight games to close the season and defeated Metro State 74-73 in Atlanta on April 7 for the NCAA-II Championship after claiming their second GLVC title in early March. Hesser’s Panthers also won the GLVC in 2007-08. His GLVC regular season record since the Panthers joined the prestigious 16-team league is 118-46 (.717 winning percentage). Hesser’s teams have been tremendous at home over the years as well, finishing with a six-year mark of 78-13 (.857) in the venerable Weiser Gym before going 56-5 in four years in the O’Reilly Family Event Center. Overall, Hesser’s DU squads are 132-18 at home, 65-42 on the road, 67-14 in GLVC regular season home games and 51-32 on the GLVC road in nine seasons as a league member for the Panthers.
NEWS AND NOTES PANTHERS PICKED TO REPEAT AS GLVC WEST CHAMPIONS Drury is favored to repeat as champions of the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division in the preseason poll of league coaches. The Panthers, 16-2 last season in league play, received 115 points and 10 first-place votes, with Maryville (107 points, 6 first place) picked for second. Remaining projected order of finish in the West poll has Missouri-St. Louis in third, followed by Quincy, league newcomer Truman State, William Jewell, Missouri S & T and Rockhurst. Bellarmine is picked to win the East Division, followed by Southern Indiana, Indianapolis, Lewis, UW-Parkside, Illinois Springfield, Saint Joseph’s and McKendree. HESSER LUNCHEONS RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD BREWING CO. The popular Steve Hesser/Drury Panthers Basketball Coaches Luncheons return to the Springfield Brewing Company restaurant in downtown Springfield for the 2013-14 season. Cost for the luncheons, which begin at 11:30 a.m. and wrap up by 1 p.m., are $10. Luncheon dates are November 19, December 3, December 12, January 7, January 21, February 4, February 18 and March 4. DRURY BACK ON RADIO, TV FOR 2013-14 All Drury basketball games will once again appear on JOCK 98.7 FM (streamed live through www.radiospringfield.com), with John Miller providing the play-byplay and Ray Meyer doing color for home games. The Panthers also are scheduled for five TV appearances on Mediacom Connections 22, Springfield’s cable outlet. In addition to the November 12 game at SW Baptist to be shown on tape delay, MC22 will air live telecasts of the December 5 game vs. Missouri S & T, January 5 vs. Saint Joseph’s, January 18 vs. William Jewell and February 13 vs. Wisconsin-Parkside. The Coach Steve Hesser/Drury Basketball Radio Shows will also return to JOCK 98.7 FM this season, with the bi-weekly programs to begin on Monday, November 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. and hosted by the Rib Crib location at 1640 N. Glenstone.
DRURY QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Springfield, Mo. Enrollment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575 Nickname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Panthers Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAA-II Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Great Lakes Valley Arena . . . . . . . . . .O’Reilly Family Event Center(3,100) President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. David Manuel Director of Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Atwell Athletics Phone Number . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-6389 Athletics website . . . . . . . . www.drurypanthers.com
PANTHERS BASKETBALL HISTORY First Year of Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1908-09 All-Time Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1496-890 NCAA Tourney Appearances . . . Eight (‘00, ‘04, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘10, ‘11, ‘13) GLVC Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two (‘08, ‘13) NCAA Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One (2013) Weiser Gym Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481-100 O’Reilly Family Event Center Record . . . . . . . . . . 58-5
PANTHERS BASKETBALL STAFF Head Coach . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Hesser (10th season) Alma Mater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oklahoma State Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222-78 Drury Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same E-mail Coach Hesser . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Basketball Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-7498 Assistant Coaches . . . . . . . Steven Gum (2nd season) Brandon Kimbrough (1st season) Graduate Asst. . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Friedel (1st season)
PANTHERS INFORMATION Last Year’s Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-4 Last Year’s GLVC Record . . . . . . . . . 16-2 (1st in West) Returning Starters/Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/3 2013-14 Newcomers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
DRURY SPORTS INFORMATION Sports Information Director . . . . . . . . . Scott Puryear Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-4097 Cell Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 576-7779 E-Mail Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Office FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(417) 873-4098 Assistant SID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Pannell Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(417) 873-7374 Cell Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 576-7769 E-Mail Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Official Website . . . . . . . . . . www.drurypanthers.com
DRURY QUICK FACTS
NEWS AND NOTES MATCHUP BY THE NUMBERS DU MTU
Points 77.6 73.9 Points Allowed 67.6 65.8 Rebounds 35.4 32.0 Rebounds Allowed 32.1 30.9 Assists 14.7 13.9 Turnovers For 15.1 9.1 Turnovers Against 16.1 10.7 Steals 8.7 5.1 Blocked Shots 3.5 2.3 FG % .500 .471 FG % Allowed .416 .445 3-PT % .370 .419 3-PT% Allowed .296 .315 FT % .702 .809 Opponents FT % .697 .692
DRURY TEAM SEASON HIGHS Points
104 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14
Rebounds
45 vs. Southwestern, 11/22/13
Assists
23 vs. Webster, 11/8/13
Steals
16 vs. C Christ, 12/7/13, vs. Nova 12/19/13
Blocked Shots
6 vs. Webster, 11/8/13, vs. McKendree 2/6/14
Turnovers (low)
6 vs. USI, 3/9/14
3-pointers Made
12 vs. William Jewell, 1/18/14
3-Pt Percentage
.625 (10 of 16) vs. Webster, 11/8/13
FG Percentage
.689 (31 of 45) vs. Mo S&T, 2/27/14
INDIVIDUAL SEASON HIGHS Points
32, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
Rebounds
14, Cameron Adams vs. Livingstone, 12/18/13, vs. USI, 1/9/14
Assists
8, Kameron Bundy vs. Nova, 12/19/13, vs. SJC, 1/3/14, vs McK, 2/6/14
Steals
5, Drake Patterson vs. Nova Southeastern, 12/19/13, Wendell Pierre vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
Blocked Shots
4, Ian Carter vs. Indy, 1/5/13
3-Pointers Made
5, Nick Yocum vs Mo S&T, 12/5/13
FGs Made
11, Kameron Bundy vs. McKendree, 2/6/14, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON For the first time at the NCAA Division II level, which it joined in 1994-95, Drury Basketball will enter a season with the tagline of “Defending National Champions” preceding every game in 2013-14. Coach Steve Hesser’s Panthers captured their first NCAA crown by defeating Metro State (Colo.) 74-73 in the title game last April 7 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. Drury’s comeback from a 17-point deficit in the title game allowed the Panthers to win their 23rd consecutive game, a school record; they did not lose again after a January 10th, 72-69 loss at Indianapolis. Thanks to that amazing late-season push, the Panthers finished Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division play with a 16-2 league mark and then went on to claim their second GLVC Championship. The Panthers then hosted the NCAA-II Midwest Regional at the O’Reilly Family Event Center, defeating Findlay, Michigan Tech and Bellarmine, to advance to the Elite Eight, where they dispatched South CarolinaAiken and defending champion Western Washington to get to the title game matchup with Metro State. The Panthers finished 31-4 on the season and graduated a trio of standouts - All-America shooting guard Alex Hall, Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player and point guard Brandon Lockhart and versatile forward Teddy Simniok. Those three combined to score 42.6 points per game last season, or 52 percent of DU’s offensive attack. Hall, who finished his career as Drury’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,200 points and its career leader in 3-pointers with 389, is playing professionally in Spain, while Lockhart - the school’s career leader in steals (267) and No. 4 in assists (547), as well as No. 21 in points (1,255) - is now a professional basketball player in Slovakia. KAM AND CAM Without question, Drury’s attack this season has been led by the dynamic duo of junior forward Cameron Adams and sophomore guard Kameron Bundy. They’ve combined to lead the Panthers in scoring in 28 of Drury’s 30 games, with Adams at 17.5 points per game and Bundy at 17.3 ppg. Both have picked up their offensive games immensely after playing supporting roles last year on the national title team. Bundy, a First Team All-GLVC selection this season, has pushed his average from 5.2 points per game as a freshman; Adams, DU’s sixth man a year ago and a Second Team All-GLVC choice this season, has bumped his from 8.3 ppg as a sophomore. He ranks fourth nationally in FG percentage at .678. Both Adams and Bundy were named to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region Second Team last week. Adams was named to the GLVC All-Tournament team as well for his efforts, including a career-high 32 points in a quarterfinals win over Illinios Springfield. HOME SWEET HOME While Weiser Gym was long a house of horrors for Panther opponents - Drury fashioned a 481-100 record over six decades in the former home of the program - the Panthers have continued that tradition of protecting their turf now in their fourth year of the $13 million, 2,845-seat O’Reilly Family Event Center. Drury finished 16-1 at The O’ last season, the lone blemish a 90-87 overtime loss to Wisconsin-Parkside January 5. The Panthers won their final nine games last season there, and with a 16-0 record at home this season, now carry a 25-game winning streak in their home building. Drury now is 58-5 all-time in The O’, including wins in 38 of its last 39 games there. HESSER REACHES MILESTONE 200th WIN Drury head coach Steve Hesser, the reigning NABC National D-II Coach of the Year, made it 200 victories in his 10 seasons on the Panthers’ bench after DU’s 70-66 overtime triumph over Cameron on November 30 at the O’Reilly Center. Hesser is 222-78 in his time with the Panthers, a .740 winning percentage that ranks among the best among active D-II coaches and puts him ahead of Bill Harding (a .730 percentage over six seasons with a 119-44 mark from 1965-71) as the tops in the tradition-rich history of Drury Basketball for coaches who were on the bench for multiple seasons. PANTHERS IN THE POLLS Drury started the 2013-14 campaign with a preseason ranking of eighth in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and finished there in this week’s final ranking of the season, having climbed as high as No. 2 - their highest point reached in the program’s history of the poll - and falling no lower than their current No. 8 standing. It’s the first time in the program’s history the Panthers were in the NABC Top 25 rankings from the start of the season to its finish. WINNING TIME A Feb. 20, 65-60 loss at William Jewell was Drury’s first in its last 14 games, dating back to last season, decided by five poins or less. After beating Parkside 69-64 in the NCAA-II Midwest Regional first round, the Panthers moved to 12-1 in those types of games this season. What he refers to as “winning time” has been a staple of Hesser’s 10 seasons on the Panthers’ bench; he’s 52-20 in his DU career in games decided by 5 or less. The Panthers are also 10-4 in overtime games in Hesser’s tenure at DU. MR. CARTER’S NEIGHBORHOOD Senior post Ian Carter became Drury’s career blocked shot leader with 114 when he swatted two at Missouri S&T on Feb. 27, sending the Fort Smith (Ark.) native past Kevin Wells (113 from 1989-1994) on the all-time DU charts. The four-year Panther now has 120 blocks, and is also closing in on the 1,000-point barrier for his career, entering the NCAA tournament with 993 points, placing him 41st on the DU all-time list.
2013-14 PANTHERS ROSTER, QUICK NOTES No. Name
Pos.
Ht.
Yr.
Hometown
Quick Notes ...
3
Kameron Bundy
G
6-2
So.
Nixa, MO
10
Thomas Whittaker
G
5-9
Fr.
Springfield, MO
11
Drake Patterson
G
6-4
Jr.
Blue Springs, MO
14
Lonnie Boga
G
6-3
Sr.
St. Louis, MO
20
Shane Rudman
G
6-2
Sr.
Lee’s Summit, MO
23
Ian Carter
F
6-6
Sr.
Fort Smith, AR
24
Cameron Adams
F
6-5
Jr.
Fort Smith, AR
31
Mike Nwelue
F
6-5
Jr.
Lewisville, TX
First Team All-GLVC selection matched career high with 25 points at McKendree (2/6). ... Has string of 19 straight double-figure scoring games snapped with 8-point effort vs USI in GLVC Tourney. ... Grabbed career-best nine rebounds vs UMSL (1/23). ... Has seen action in seven games, including career-best four minutes vs. Central Christian. ... Has made both his 3-point tries in career, one each vs. Webster and Southwestern ... Had a season-high 15 points and added a career-best 9 rebounds vs. Southwestern ... Has made multiple 3-pointers in 15 games. ... Member of All-GLVC Defensive team this season. ... Scored career-high 17 points against Rockhurst 1/16, part of a streak of five consecutive double-digit scoring efforts. ... In first full season at DU after transferring from WisconsinMilwaukee. ... Fourth-year member of the DU program scored a season-high 5 points vs. Central Christian ... Is 3 of 5 from behind the 3-point line. ... Pronounced “Rude-man.” Other returning starter from NCAA-II national champions ... Posted first double-double of season with 14 points, 12 rebounds at Truman State (2/1). ... Now No. 1 on DU career blocks list with 120. ... Matched season high with 17 points in 2/28 win at Missouri S&T. ... Named to GLVC All-Defensive team this season. Only Panther in double-figures in all 30 games. ... Scored career-high 32 points vs. Illinois Springfield (3/7) in GLVC tourney quarters. ... Has set new career mark with 14 rebounds in games this season vs.then-nationally ranked teams - No. 13 Livingstone and No. 8 USI. ...Named Second Team All-GLVC choice. ... First-year Panther and transfer from NAIA D-I Southwestern Assemblies of God ... scored DU career-best 16 points vs Rockhurst 1/16. ... pronounced “New-well-ooh-way”
32
Wendell Pierre
G
6-2
Jr.
Port Arthur, TX
33
Nick Yocum
G
5-10
Fr.
Republic, MO
41
Sean Osler
F
6-5
Jr.
Cheyney, KS
42
Ben Fisher
G
6-0
Jr.
Nixa, MO
45
Mael Amenyedzi
F
6-6
Sr.
Blois, France
DaShaun Stark
G
6-5
Fr.
Springdale, AR
Deon Pettigrew
G-F
6-5
Fr.
Bellevue, NE
50 54
First-year Panther and transfer from BrownMackie ... had best night of career vs. Parkside (2/13), with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes. ... Had career-high 5 steals vs Quincy (1/30). ... Redshirt freshman is a transfer from Southwest Baptist. ... Scored career-high 15 points, on 5-of-6 shooting on 3s, vs Mo S&T. ... Transfer from Butler County CC has scored season-high 16 twice - vs. Webster and Mo S&T. ... pronounced “Ahh-sler” ... Started season 8 of first 11 from 3-point range ... Went for career-high 10 points at SBU, then matched it in GLVC semis loss to Southern Indiana. ... Seen action in 15 games this season ... His lay-in with 1.4 seconds left accounted for DU victory over No. 16 Parkside (2/13). ... pronounced “Ah-men-yed-jee” ... Has played in 22 of 28 games ... Has scored in four games, including 3 points each vs. Webster and Missouri S & T. ... Had 3 points, a block and a steal in 11 minutes vs. Nova Southeastern. ... Career-high five points in seven minutes vs. Central Christian ... Had career-bests of five rebounds and four assists in opening win over Webster. ... Seen action in 9 games. ...
PANTHERS SEASON AND CAREER HIGHS 3 - KAMERON BUNDY 6-2 Sophomore Nixa, MO
Points - 25 vs. Maryville, 1/25/14, vs. McKendree, 2/6/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 9 vs. UMSL, 1/23/14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 8, three times (season) Same (career) Steals - 4, four times (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14 (season) Same (career)
14 - LONNIE BOGA 6-3 Senior St. Louis, MO
Points - 16 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 7 vs. Cameron, 11-30-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 2, twice (season) 5, twice (career) Steals - 2, twice (season) 2, several times (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Indy, 1/5/14 (season) Same (career)
24 - CAMERON ADAMS 6-5 Junior Fort Smith, AR
Points - 32 vs. UIS, 3/7/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 14, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. Truman St, 2/1/14 (season) 6 vs. Ill-Springfield, 2-2-12 (career) Steals - 4 vs. Central Christ, 12-7-13 (season) 4, twice (career) Blocks - 2, twice (season) 2, three times (career)
10 - THOMAS WHITTAKER 5-9 Freshman Springfield, MO
Points - 3, twice (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 2 vs. SW Baptist, 11-12-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - none (season) Same (career) Steals - none (season) Same (career) Blocks - none Same (career)
20 - SHANE RUDMAN 6-2 Senior Lee’s Summit, MO
Points - 5 vs. C. Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 6, twice (career) Rebounds - 1 vs. Southwestrn, 11-22-13 (season) 2, several times (career) Assists - 1, twice (season) 2 vs. Quincy, 1-19-12 (career) Steals - none (season) 1, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
31 - MIKE NWELUE 6-5 Junior Stephensville, TX
Points - 16 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14 (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 10 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 2 vs. Lake Superior, 3/16/14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2, three times (season) Same (career)
11 - DRAKE PATTERSON 6-4 Junior Blue Springs, MO
Points - 15 vs. Southwestern, 11-19-13 (season) 19 vs. Quincy, 2-4-12 (career) Rebounds - 9 vs.Swestrn, 11-22-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 4, twice (season) 5, four times (career) Steals - 5 vs. Nova SE, 12-19-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1, three times (season) 2 vs. SC-Aiken, 3-28-13 (career)
23 - IAN CARTER 6-6 Senior Fort Smith, AR
Points - 17 vs. Indy, 1/5/14 (season) 24 vs. UMSL, 2-11-12 (career) Rebounds - 12 vs. Truman, 2/1/14 (season) 14 vs. Mo S & T, 2-14-11 (career) Assists - 8 vs. Mo S&T, 12/5/13 (season) 8, twice (career) Steals - 4, twice (season) Same (career) Blocks - 4, twice (season) 5, three times (career)
32 - WENDELL PIERRE 6-2 Junior Port Arthur, TX
Points - 12 vs. Parkside, 2/13/14 (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 13 vs. Parkside, 2/13/14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. Parkside, 3/15/14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 5 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career)
NEWS AND NOTES
PANTHERS SEASON AND CAREER HIGHS
33 - NICK YOCUM
41 - SEAN OSLER
5-10 R Freshman Republic, MO
6-5 Junior Cheyney, KS
Points - 15 vs. Mo S&T, 12-5-13 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 2, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - none (season) Same (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
Points - 16, twice (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 6, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 2 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Cameron, 11-30-13 (season) Same (career)
45 - MAEL AMENYEDZI
50 - DASHAUN STARK
6-5 Senior Blois, France
Points - 4 vs. C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 5 vs. William Jewell, 1-31-13 (career) Rebounds - 2, several times (season) 4 vs. Rockhurst, 2-2-13 (career) Assists - 1 vs C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 1, several times (career) Steals - 1 vs. So.Indiana, 1/11/14 (season) 1, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) same (career)
42 - BEN FISHER 6-0 Junior Nixa, MO
Points - 10, twice (season) 11 vs. Rockhurst, 2-2-13 (career) Rebounds - 4, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 4 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3, twice (season) 3, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
54 - DEON PETTIGREW
6-5 Freshman Springdale, AR
Points - 3, twice (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 7 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 3 vs. SW Baptist, 11-12-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 1, twice (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1, twice (season) Same (career)
6-5 Freshman Bellvue, NE
Points - 5 vs C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 5 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 4 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 1 vs. Southwestern, 11-22-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
PANTHERS BY THE NUMBERS THE LAST TIME DRURY ... Scored 100 or more points ...
DRURY’S RECORD THIS SEASON WHEN ... 104 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14
Scoring 85 or more points ...
9-0
Scored 90 or more points ...
92 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
Scoring 70 or more points ...
22-1
Allowed fewer than 60 points ...
53 vs. Lewis, 2/15/14
Allowing 80 or fewer points ...
25-2
Allowed fewer than 50 points ...
44 vs. Quincy, 2/14/13
Allowing 70 or fewer points ...
18-1
Had 50 or more rebounds ...
50 vs. Univ. of Ozarks, 11/10/13
Outrebounding the opponent ...
19-2
Had 25 or more assists ...
26 vs. Quincy, 1/19/13
Having 20 or more assists ...
6-0
Had 15 or more steals ...
15 vs. Lake Superior, 3/16/14
Hitting 6 or more 3-pointers ...
12-1
Had 8 or more blocked shots ...
8 vs. Northern Kentucky, 1/17/09
Having fewer than 15 turnovers ...
15-1
Had fewer than 10 turnovers ...
6 vs. Southern Indiana, 3/8/14
Forcing 15 or more turnovers ...
15-1
Player with 30-plus points ...
32, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
Leading at halftime ...
21-1
Player with 10-plus rebounds ...
10, Cameron Adams vs. Lewis, 2/15/14
Trailing at halftime ...
5-2
Player with 10-plus assists ...
10, Brandon Lockhart vs. Wayne St, 12/15/12
Shooting 45 percent or better on FGs ...
24-0
Player with five-plus steals ...
5, Wendell Pierre vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
At O’Reilly Family Event Center ...
16-0
Player with six or more 3-pters ...
7, Alex Hall vs. W. Wsh, 3/30/13
On the road ...
9-2
Player with three or more blocks
4, Ian Carter vs. William Jewell, 1/18/14
Neutral site ...
2-1
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
NEWS AND NOTES STATISTICS 2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
NEWS AND NOTES 2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
DRURY PANTHERS
www.drurypanthers.com
@drurypanthers
game notes
@DruryMBB
#8 DRURY PANTHERS (27-3) vs. MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES (24-7) NCAA-II MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL - O’REILLY FAMILY EVENT CENTER Tuesday, March 18, 2014 - 7 p.m. CST Radio: JOCK 98.7 FM TV: none Webcast: drurypanthers.com/showcase PANTHERS, HUSKIES MEET IN MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL The defending national champion Drury Panthers are back on a familiar stage on Tuesday night, when the top seed takes on No. 6 seed Michigan Tech for the NCAA-II Midwest Regional championship and an Elite Eight berth at the O’Reilly Family Event Center. The Panthers advanced to the finals by edging eight-seed Wisconsin-Parkside 69-64 on Saturday night, then thumping No. 5 seed Lake Superior State 79-61 on Sunday. Michigan Tech, from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, arrived by knocking off two of the GLVC’s top squads, beating No. 3 seed and GLVC champion Southern Indiana 75-70 in the opening round before downing No. 2 seed Indianapolis 82-76 on Sunday. While Drury is back in the regional final at The O’ for the second straight year - the Panthers are 5-0 in NCAAII games at the O’Reilly Center, where they’ve now also won 25 consecutive games - Michigan Tech is in the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program’s history. The Huskies had been 0-7 in regional semifinal games before their win over UIndy. SCOUTING THE HUSKIES Coach Kevin Luke is in his 20th season at Michigan Tech, where he’s the school’s all-time winningest coach with 362 victories. His Huskies lost 7662 to Drury in last year’s regional semifinals at The O’, but that team was based around now-graduated, 6-9 standout Ali Haidar. The current MTU squad is guard-oriented and led by 6-3 senior Austin Armga (23.3 points per game) and 6-1 junior Ben Stelzer (17.7 ppg). Armga scored 30 points and Stelzer had 20 in the first-round win over Southern Indiana, while Stelzer went off for 32 points - all in the second half - in the semis against UIndy. Armga led Tech with 21 points in last year’s loss to Drury, while Stelzer was held to seven. The Huskies lead the nation in free-throw percentage (.809) and are third in 3-point FG percentage (.422), in addition to fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.1). QUICK HITS ... This is the third meeting between Drury and Michigan Tech. In addition to last year’s Panthers victory in the regional, Tech defeated DU 82-61 on November 22, 1996 in Mankato, Minn. ... The Panthers are 16-0 this season at The O’, where they’ve won 25 straight and 38 of their last 39 games. Drury is 58-5 all-time in the four-year-old arena. ... The Panthers are 12-1 this season in games decided by five points or less and 52-20 in such games in Hesser’s 10-year DU career. ... Sunday’s win over Lake Superior State came in Hesser’s 300th game as a college coach, all at Drury. He’s now 222-78 in that time. It was also Hesser’s 150th home game, and he’s won an amazing 132 of them. ... Senior center Ian Carter (993 points) needs seven points to become the 41st Panther in the program’s history to top the 1,000-point milestone for his career. ... Either Kameron Bundy or Cameron Adams has led the Panthers in scoring in 28 of their 30 games this season, including their last 16. ... Drury is in the NCAA-II post-season field for the ninth time since moving to that level in 1994-95. The Panthers are 11-7 all-time in NCAA tourney games, including 9-5 under Hesser, who now has won his last eight NCAA post-season games after starting 1-5 over his first eight seasons. ... The Drury-Michigan Tech winner will play the East StroudsburgWest Liberty East Regional finals winner next Wednesday (March 26) in the Elite Eight at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., with a 6 p.m. tipoff. ...
PLAYERS TO WATCH DRURY PANTHERS (27-3) PROBABLE STARTERS 3 - Kameron Bundy, 6-2 so. (17.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.7 apg) 11 - Drake Patterson, 6-4 jr. (6.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg) 14 - Lonnie Boga, 6-2 sr. (6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 apg) 23 - Ian Carter, 6-6 sr. (9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.6 apg) 24 - Cameron Adams, 6-5 jr. (17.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.6 apg)
KEY RESERVES 41 - Sean Osler, 6-5 jr. (5.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg) 31 - Mike Nwelue, 6-5 jr. (5.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 apg) 32 - Wendell Pierre, 6-2 jr. (3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES (24-7) PROBABLE STARTERS 1 - Austin Armga, 6-3 sr. (23.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.4 apg) 5 - Ben Stelzer, 6-1 jr. (17.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 apg) 3 - Alex Culy, 6-2 sr. (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg) 24 - Luke Heller, 6-6 so. (4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg) 15 - Troy Hecht, 6-3 jr. (3.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg)
KEY RESERVES 40 - Kyle Stankowski, 6-9 so. (4.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.2 apg) 11 - Jordan Chartier, 6-2 so. (4.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg) 14 - Connor McLeod, 6-8 so. (2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg)
2013-14 SCHEDULE/RESULTS 11/8 Webster W 87-63 11/12 @SW Baptist W 97-70 11/22 Southwestern W 95-52 11/29 NW Mo State W 74-72 11/30 Cameron W 70-66 OT 12/5 Mo S&T W 96-86 12/7 Central Christian W 92-63 12/18 Livingstone W 81-80 12/19 Nova Southeastern W 75-71 1/3 Saint Joseph’s W 80-66 1/5 Indianapolis W 83-69 1/9 @Bellarmine L 85-77 1/11 @Southern Indiana W 64-56 1/16 Rockhurst W 104-69 1/18 William Jewell W 79-56
1/23 Missouri-St. Louis W 76-73 1/25 Maryville W 61-58 1/30 @Quincy W 92-87 OT 2/1 @Truman State W 88-78 2/6 @McKendree W 78-74 2/8 @Ill-Springfield W 66-59 2/13 UW-Parkside W 54-52 2/15 Lewis W 56-53 2/20 @William Jewell L 65-60 2/22 @Rockhurst W 77-73 OT 2/27 @Mo S & T W 88-67 3/7 vs. Ill Springfield W 72-64 3/8 vs. So. Indiana L 75-57 3/15 vs. UW-Parkside W 69-64 3/16 vs. Lake Superior St W 79-61
HEAD COACH STEVE HESSER Steve Hesser, now in his 10th season as the Drury men’s basketball head coach, has established the Panthers’ program as an annual contender for both Great Lakes Valley Conference and NCAA-II honors after DU captured both titles in their banner 2012-13 campaign. Hesser owns a 222-78 mark in his time at Drury, a .738 winning percentage that ranks among the top in the nation and in Drury’s storied basketball history. His Panthers have won 20 or more games now in eight of his 10 seasons and won or shared five GLVC West titles in seven years as a league member. Drury has also qualified for the NCAA-II Tournament in six of his nine seasons, including the benchmark 2012-13 campaign, when his Panthers finished 31-4 overall, won a school-record 23 straight games to close the season and defeated Metro State 74-73 in Atlanta on April 7 for the NCAA-II Championship after claiming their second GLVC title in early March. Hesser’s Panthers also won the GLVC in 2007-08. His GLVC regular season record since the Panthers joined the prestigious 16-team league is 118-46 (.717 winning percentage). Hesser’s teams have been tremendous at home over the years as well, finishing with a six-year mark of 78-13 (.857) in the venerable Weiser Gym before going 56-5 in four years in the O’Reilly Family Event Center. Overall, Hesser’s DU squads are 132-18 at home, 65-42 on the road, 67-14 in GLVC regular season home games and 51-32 on the GLVC road in nine seasons as a league member for the Panthers.
NEWS AND NOTES PANTHERS PICKED TO REPEAT AS GLVC WEST CHAMPIONS Drury is favored to repeat as champions of the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division in the preseason poll of league coaches. The Panthers, 16-2 last season in league play, received 115 points and 10 first-place votes, with Maryville (107 points, 6 first place) picked for second. Remaining projected order of finish in the West poll has Missouri-St. Louis in third, followed by Quincy, league newcomer Truman State, William Jewell, Missouri S & T and Rockhurst. Bellarmine is picked to win the East Division, followed by Southern Indiana, Indianapolis, Lewis, UW-Parkside, Illinois Springfield, Saint Joseph’s and McKendree. HESSER LUNCHEONS RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD BREWING CO. The popular Steve Hesser/Drury Panthers Basketball Coaches Luncheons return to the Springfield Brewing Company restaurant in downtown Springfield for the 2013-14 season. Cost for the luncheons, which begin at 11:30 a.m. and wrap up by 1 p.m., are $10. Luncheon dates are November 19, December 3, December 12, January 7, January 21, February 4, February 18 and March 4. DRURY BACK ON RADIO, TV FOR 2013-14 All Drury basketball games will once again appear on JOCK 98.7 FM (streamed live through www.radiospringfield.com), with John Miller providing the play-byplay and Ray Meyer doing color for home games. The Panthers also are scheduled for five TV appearances on Mediacom Connections 22, Springfield’s cable outlet. In addition to the November 12 game at SW Baptist to be shown on tape delay, MC22 will air live telecasts of the December 5 game vs. Missouri S & T, January 5 vs. Saint Joseph’s, January 18 vs. William Jewell and February 13 vs. Wisconsin-Parkside. The Coach Steve Hesser/Drury Basketball Radio Shows will also return to JOCK 98.7 FM this season, with the bi-weekly programs to begin on Monday, November 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. and hosted by the Rib Crib location at 1640 N. Glenstone.
DRURY QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Springfield, Mo. Enrollment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575 Nickname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Panthers Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAA-II Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Great Lakes Valley Arena . . . . . . . . . .O’Reilly Family Event Center(3,100) President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. David Manuel Director of Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Atwell Athletics Phone Number . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-6389 Athletics website . . . . . . . . www.drurypanthers.com
PANTHERS BASKETBALL HISTORY First Year of Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1908-09 All-Time Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1496-890 NCAA Tourney Appearances . . . Eight (‘00, ‘04, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘10, ‘11, ‘13) GLVC Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two (‘08, ‘13) NCAA Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One (2013) Weiser Gym Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481-100 O’Reilly Family Event Center Record . . . . . . . . . . 58-5
PANTHERS BASKETBALL STAFF Head Coach . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Hesser (10th season) Alma Mater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oklahoma State Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222-78 Drury Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same E-mail Coach Hesser . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Basketball Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-7498 Assistant Coaches . . . . . . . Steven Gum (2nd season) Brandon Kimbrough (1st season) Graduate Asst. . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Friedel (1st season)
PANTHERS INFORMATION Last Year’s Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-4 Last Year’s GLVC Record . . . . . . . . . 16-2 (1st in West) Returning Starters/Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/3 2013-14 Newcomers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
DRURY SPORTS INFORMATION Sports Information Director . . . . . . . . . Scott Puryear Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 873-4097 Cell Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 576-7779 E-Mail Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Office FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(417) 873-4098 Assistant SID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Pannell Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(417) 873-7374 Cell Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (417) 576-7769 E-Mail Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Official Website . . . . . . . . . . www.drurypanthers.com
DRURY QUICK FACTS
NEWS AND NOTES MATCHUP BY THE NUMBERS DU MTU
Points 77.6 73.9 Points Allowed 67.6 65.8 Rebounds 35.4 32.0 Rebounds Allowed 32.1 30.9 Assists 14.7 13.9 Turnovers For 15.1 9.1 Turnovers Against 16.1 10.7 Steals 8.7 5.1 Blocked Shots 3.5 2.3 FG % .500 .471 FG % Allowed .416 .445 3-PT % .370 .419 3-PT% Allowed .296 .315 FT % .702 .809 Opponents FT % .697 .692
DRURY TEAM SEASON HIGHS Points
104 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14
Rebounds
45 vs. Southwestern, 11/22/13
Assists
23 vs. Webster, 11/8/13
Steals
16 vs. C Christ, 12/7/13, vs. Nova 12/19/13
Blocked Shots
6 vs. Webster, 11/8/13, vs. McKendree 2/6/14
Turnovers (low)
6 vs. USI, 3/9/14
3-pointers Made
12 vs. William Jewell, 1/18/14
3-Pt Percentage
.625 (10 of 16) vs. Webster, 11/8/13
FG Percentage
.689 (31 of 45) vs. Mo S&T, 2/27/14
INDIVIDUAL SEASON HIGHS Points
32, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
Rebounds
14, Cameron Adams vs. Livingstone, 12/18/13, vs. USI, 1/9/14
Assists
8, Kameron Bundy vs. Nova, 12/19/13, vs. SJC, 1/3/14, vs McK, 2/6/14
Steals
5, Drake Patterson vs. Nova Southeastern, 12/19/13, Wendell Pierre vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
Blocked Shots
4, Ian Carter vs. Indy, 1/5/13
3-Pointers Made
5, Nick Yocum vs Mo S&T, 12/5/13
FGs Made
11, Kameron Bundy vs. McKendree, 2/6/14, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON For the first time at the NCAA Division II level, which it joined in 1994-95, Drury Basketball will enter a season with the tagline of “Defending National Champions” preceding every game in 2013-14. Coach Steve Hesser’s Panthers captured their first NCAA crown by defeating Metro State (Colo.) 74-73 in the title game last April 7 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. Drury’s comeback from a 17-point deficit in the title game allowed the Panthers to win their 23rd consecutive game, a school record; they did not lose again after a January 10th, 72-69 loss at Indianapolis. Thanks to that amazing late-season push, the Panthers finished Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division play with a 16-2 league mark and then went on to claim their second GLVC Championship. The Panthers then hosted the NCAA-II Midwest Regional at the O’Reilly Family Event Center, defeating Findlay, Michigan Tech and Bellarmine, to advance to the Elite Eight, where they dispatched South CarolinaAiken and defending champion Western Washington to get to the title game matchup with Metro State. The Panthers finished 31-4 on the season and graduated a trio of standouts - All-America shooting guard Alex Hall, Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player and point guard Brandon Lockhart and versatile forward Teddy Simniok. Those three combined to score 42.6 points per game last season, or 52 percent of DU’s offensive attack. Hall, who finished his career as Drury’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,200 points and its career leader in 3-pointers with 389, is playing professionally in Spain, while Lockhart - the school’s career leader in steals (267) and No. 4 in assists (547), as well as No. 21 in points (1,255) - is now a professional basketball player in Slovakia. KAM AND CAM Without question, Drury’s attack this season has been led by the dynamic duo of junior forward Cameron Adams and sophomore guard Kameron Bundy. They’ve combined to lead the Panthers in scoring in 28 of Drury’s 30 games, with Adams at 17.5 points per game and Bundy at 17.3 ppg. Both have picked up their offensive games immensely after playing supporting roles last year on the national title team. Bundy, a First Team All-GLVC selection this season, has pushed his average from 5.2 points per game as a freshman; Adams, DU’s sixth man a year ago and a Second Team All-GLVC choice this season, has bumped his from 8.3 ppg as a sophomore. He ranks fourth nationally in FG percentage at .678. Both Adams and Bundy were named to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region Second Team last week. Adams was named to the GLVC All-Tournament team as well for his efforts, including a career-high 32 points in a quarterfinals win over Illinios Springfield. HOME SWEET HOME While Weiser Gym was long a house of horrors for Panther opponents - Drury fashioned a 481-100 record over six decades in the former home of the program - the Panthers have continued that tradition of protecting their turf now in their fourth year of the $13 million, 2,845-seat O’Reilly Family Event Center. Drury finished 16-1 at The O’ last season, the lone blemish a 90-87 overtime loss to Wisconsin-Parkside January 5. The Panthers won their final nine games last season there, and with a 16-0 record at home this season, now carry a 25-game winning streak in their home building. Drury now is 58-5 all-time in The O’, including wins in 38 of its last 39 games there. HESSER REACHES MILESTONE 200th WIN Drury head coach Steve Hesser, the reigning NABC National D-II Coach of the Year, made it 200 victories in his 10 seasons on the Panthers’ bench after DU’s 70-66 overtime triumph over Cameron on November 30 at the O’Reilly Center. Hesser is 222-78 in his time with the Panthers, a .740 winning percentage that ranks among the best among active D-II coaches and puts him ahead of Bill Harding (a .730 percentage over six seasons with a 119-44 mark from 1965-71) as the tops in the tradition-rich history of Drury Basketball for coaches who were on the bench for multiple seasons. PANTHERS IN THE POLLS Drury started the 2013-14 campaign with a preseason ranking of eighth in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and finished there in this week’s final ranking of the season, having climbed as high as No. 2 - their highest point reached in the program’s history of the poll - and falling no lower than their current No. 8 standing. It’s the first time in the program’s history the Panthers were in the NABC Top 25 rankings from the start of the season to its finish. WINNING TIME A Feb. 20, 65-60 loss at William Jewell was Drury’s first in its last 14 games, dating back to last season, decided by five poins or less. After beating Parkside 69-64 in the NCAA-II Midwest Regional first round, the Panthers moved to 12-1 in those types of games this season. What he refers to as “winning time” has been a staple of Hesser’s 10 seasons on the Panthers’ bench; he’s 52-20 in his DU career in games decided by 5 or less. The Panthers are also 10-4 in overtime games in Hesser’s tenure at DU. MR. CARTER’S NEIGHBORHOOD Senior post Ian Carter became Drury’s career blocked shot leader with 114 when he swatted two at Missouri S&T on Feb. 27, sending the Fort Smith (Ark.) native past Kevin Wells (113 from 1989-1994) on the all-time DU charts. The four-year Panther now has 120 blocks, and is also closing in on the 1,000-point barrier for his career, entering the NCAA tournament with 993 points, placing him 41st on the DU all-time list.
2013-14 PANTHERS ROSTER, QUICK NOTES No. Name
Pos.
Ht.
Yr.
Hometown
Quick Notes ...
3
Kameron Bundy
G
6-2
So.
Nixa, MO
10
Thomas Whittaker
G
5-9
Fr.
Springfield, MO
11
Drake Patterson
G
6-4
Jr.
Blue Springs, MO
14
Lonnie Boga
G
6-3
Sr.
St. Louis, MO
20
Shane Rudman
G
6-2
Sr.
Lee’s Summit, MO
23
Ian Carter
F
6-6
Sr.
Fort Smith, AR
24
Cameron Adams
F
6-5
Jr.
Fort Smith, AR
31
Mike Nwelue
F
6-5
Jr.
Lewisville, TX
First Team All-GLVC selection matched career high with 25 points at McKendree (2/6). ... Has string of 19 straight double-figure scoring games snapped with 8-point effort vs USI in GLVC Tourney. ... Grabbed career-best nine rebounds vs UMSL (1/23). ... Has seen action in seven games, including career-best four minutes vs. Central Christian. ... Has made both his 3-point tries in career, one each vs. Webster and Southwestern ... Had a season-high 15 points and added a career-best 9 rebounds vs. Southwestern ... Has made multiple 3-pointers in 15 games. ... Member of All-GLVC Defensive team this season. ... Scored career-high 17 points against Rockhurst 1/16, part of a streak of five consecutive double-digit scoring efforts. ... In first full season at DU after transferring from WisconsinMilwaukee. ... Fourth-year member of the DU program scored a season-high 5 points vs. Central Christian ... Is 3 of 5 from behind the 3-point line. ... Pronounced “Rude-man.” Other returning starter from NCAA-II national champions ... Posted first double-double of season with 14 points, 12 rebounds at Truman State (2/1). ... Now No. 1 on DU career blocks list with 120. ... Matched season high with 17 points in 2/28 win at Missouri S&T. ... Named to GLVC All-Defensive team this season. Only Panther in double-figures in all 30 games. ... Scored career-high 32 points vs. Illinois Springfield (3/7) in GLVC tourney quarters. ... Has set new career mark with 14 rebounds in games this season vs.then-nationally ranked teams - No. 13 Livingstone and No. 8 USI. ...Named Second Team All-GLVC choice. ... First-year Panther and transfer from NAIA D-I Southwestern Assemblies of God ... scored DU career-best 16 points vs Rockhurst 1/16. ... pronounced “New-well-ooh-way”
32
Wendell Pierre
G
6-2
Jr.
Port Arthur, TX
33
Nick Yocum
G
5-10
Fr.
Republic, MO
41
Sean Osler
F
6-5
Jr.
Cheyney, KS
42
Ben Fisher
G
6-0
Jr.
Nixa, MO
45
Mael Amenyedzi
F
6-6
Sr.
Blois, France
DaShaun Stark
G
6-5
Fr.
Springdale, AR
Deon Pettigrew
G-F
6-5
Fr.
Bellevue, NE
50 54
First-year Panther and transfer from BrownMackie ... had best night of career vs. Parkside (2/13), with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes. ... Had career-high 5 steals vs Quincy (1/30). ... Redshirt freshman is a transfer from Southwest Baptist. ... Scored career-high 15 points, on 5-of-6 shooting on 3s, vs Mo S&T. ... Transfer from Butler County CC has scored season-high 16 twice - vs. Webster and Mo S&T. ... pronounced “Ahh-sler” ... Started season 8 of first 11 from 3-point range ... Went for career-high 10 points at SBU, then matched it in GLVC semis loss to Southern Indiana. ... Seen action in 15 games this season ... His lay-in with 1.4 seconds left accounted for DU victory over No. 16 Parkside (2/13). ... pronounced “Ah-men-yed-jee” ... Has played in 22 of 28 games ... Has scored in four games, including 3 points each vs. Webster and Missouri S & T. ... Had 3 points, a block and a steal in 11 minutes vs. Nova Southeastern. ... Career-high five points in seven minutes vs. Central Christian ... Had career-bests of five rebounds and four assists in opening win over Webster. ... Seen action in 9 games. ...
PANTHERS SEASON AND CAREER HIGHS 3 - KAMERON BUNDY 6-2 Sophomore Nixa, MO
Points - 25 vs. Maryville, 1/25/14, vs. McKendree, 2/6/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 9 vs. UMSL, 1/23/14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 8, three times (season) Same (career) Steals - 4, four times (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14 (season) Same (career)
14 - LONNIE BOGA 6-3 Senior St. Louis, MO
Points - 16 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 7 vs. Cameron, 11-30-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 2, twice (season) 5, twice (career) Steals - 2, twice (season) 2, several times (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Indy, 1/5/14 (season) Same (career)
24 - CAMERON ADAMS 6-5 Junior Fort Smith, AR
Points - 32 vs. UIS, 3/7/14 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 14, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. Truman St, 2/1/14 (season) 6 vs. Ill-Springfield, 2-2-12 (career) Steals - 4 vs. Central Christ, 12-7-13 (season) 4, twice (career) Blocks - 2, twice (season) 2, three times (career)
10 - THOMAS WHITTAKER 5-9 Freshman Springfield, MO
Points - 3, twice (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 2 vs. SW Baptist, 11-12-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - none (season) Same (career) Steals - none (season) Same (career) Blocks - none Same (career)
20 - SHANE RUDMAN 6-2 Senior Lee’s Summit, MO
Points - 5 vs. C. Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 6, twice (career) Rebounds - 1 vs. Southwestrn, 11-22-13 (season) 2, several times (career) Assists - 1, twice (season) 2 vs. Quincy, 1-19-12 (career) Steals - none (season) 1, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
31 - MIKE NWELUE 6-5 Junior Stephensville, TX
Points - 16 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14 (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 10 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 2 vs. Lake Superior, 3/16/14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2, three times (season) Same (career)
11 - DRAKE PATTERSON 6-4 Junior Blue Springs, MO
Points - 15 vs. Southwestern, 11-19-13 (season) 19 vs. Quincy, 2-4-12 (career) Rebounds - 9 vs.Swestrn, 11-22-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 4, twice (season) 5, four times (career) Steals - 5 vs. Nova SE, 12-19-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1, three times (season) 2 vs. SC-Aiken, 3-28-13 (career)
23 - IAN CARTER 6-6 Senior Fort Smith, AR
Points - 17 vs. Indy, 1/5/14 (season) 24 vs. UMSL, 2-11-12 (career) Rebounds - 12 vs. Truman, 2/1/14 (season) 14 vs. Mo S & T, 2-14-11 (career) Assists - 8 vs. Mo S&T, 12/5/13 (season) 8, twice (career) Steals - 4, twice (season) Same (career) Blocks - 4, twice (season) 5, three times (career)
32 - WENDELL PIERRE 6-2 Junior Port Arthur, TX
Points - 12 vs. Parkside, 2/13/14 (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 13 vs. Parkside, 2/13/14 (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. Parkside, 3/15/14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 5 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career)
NEWS AND NOTES
PANTHERS SEASON AND CAREER HIGHS
33 - NICK YOCUM
41 - SEAN OSLER
5-10 R Freshman Republic, MO
6-5 Junior Cheyney, KS
Points - 15 vs. Mo S&T, 12-5-13 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 2, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 5 vs. C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - none (season) Same (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
Points - 16, twice (season) Same (DU career) Rebounds - 6, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 2 vs. Bellarmine, 1-9-14 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - 2 vs. Cameron, 11-30-13 (season) Same (career)
45 - MAEL AMENYEDZI
50 - DASHAUN STARK
6-5 Senior Blois, France
Points - 4 vs. C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 5 vs. William Jewell, 1-31-13 (career) Rebounds - 2, several times (season) 4 vs. Rockhurst, 2-2-13 (career) Assists - 1 vs C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) 1, several times (career) Steals - 1 vs. So.Indiana, 1/11/14 (season) 1, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) same (career)
42 - BEN FISHER 6-0 Junior Nixa, MO
Points - 10, twice (season) 11 vs. Rockhurst, 2-2-13 (career) Rebounds - 4, twice (season) Same (career) Assists - 4 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 3, twice (season) 3, several times (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
54 - DEON PETTIGREW
6-5 Freshman Springdale, AR
Points - 3, twice (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 7 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 3 vs. SW Baptist, 11-12-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 1, twice (season) Same (career) Blocks - 1, twice (season) Same (career)
6-5 Freshman Bellvue, NE
Points - 5 vs C Christian, 12-7-13 (season) Same (career) Rebounds - 5 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Assists - 4 vs. Webster, 11-8-13 (season) Same (career) Steals - 1 vs. Southwestern, 11-22-13 (season) Same (career) Blocks - none (season) Same (career)
PANTHERS BY THE NUMBERS THE LAST TIME DRURY ... Scored 100 or more points ...
DRURY’S RECORD THIS SEASON WHEN ... 104 vs. Rockhurst, 1/16/14
Scoring 85 or more points ...
9-0
Scored 90 or more points ...
92 vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
Scoring 70 or more points ...
22-1
Allowed fewer than 60 points ...
53 vs. Lewis, 2/15/14
Allowing 80 or fewer points ...
25-2
Allowed fewer than 50 points ...
44 vs. Quincy, 2/14/13
Allowing 70 or fewer points ...
18-1
Had 50 or more rebounds ...
50 vs. Univ. of Ozarks, 11/10/13
Outrebounding the opponent ...
19-2
Had 25 or more assists ...
26 vs. Quincy, 1/19/13
Having 20 or more assists ...
6-0
Had 15 or more steals ...
15 vs. Lake Superior, 3/16/14
Hitting 6 or more 3-pointers ...
12-1
Had 8 or more blocked shots ...
8 vs. Northern Kentucky, 1/17/09
Having fewer than 15 turnovers ...
15-1
Had fewer than 10 turnovers ...
6 vs. Southern Indiana, 3/8/14
Forcing 15 or more turnovers ...
15-1
Player with 30-plus points ...
32, Cameron Adams vs. UIS, 3/7/14
Leading at halftime ...
21-1
Player with 10-plus rebounds ...
10, Cameron Adams vs. Lewis, 2/15/14
Trailing at halftime ...
5-2
Player with 10-plus assists ...
10, Brandon Lockhart vs. Wayne St, 12/15/12
Shooting 45 percent or better on FGs ...
24-0
Player with five-plus steals ...
5, Wendell Pierre vs. Quincy, 1/30/14
At O’Reilly Family Event Center ...
16-0
Player with six or more 3-pters ...
7, Alex Hall vs. W. Wsh, 3/30/13
On the road ...
9-2
Player with three or more blocks
4, Ian Carter vs. William Jewell, 1/18/14
Neutral site ...
2-1
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
NEWS AND NOTES STATISTICS 2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
NEWS AND NOTES 2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
2009-2010 LADY PANTHER STATISTICS
2013-14 DRURY BASKETBALL STATISTICS
