SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The Drury Lady Panthers are ranked number two in the nation in the NCAA-II preseason coaches’ poll released on Tuesday.
Drury received two first-place votes and 524 points in the poll. They were ranked second in the final poll for the 2020-21 season after finishing the year as the national runner-up in the NCAA-II Tournament. Defending national champion Lubbock Christian received 20 first-place votes, 547 points, and is ranked number one.
The rest of the top five include Lander, ranked third, Fort Hays State is fourth, and Azuza Pacific is ranked fifth.
The Lady Panthers started the season last weekend and went 3-0 in the D2CCA Classic hosted by West Texas A&M. Two of those wins came against teams nationally ranked with as Drury earned victories over Central Missouri, tied for sixth in the national poll, and 16th ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State. The other win for the Lady Panthers came against West Texas A&M, a team that received votes for the top 25.
Drury’s schedule includes three other games against teams in the top 25. The Lady Panthers will play 18th ranked Minnesota-Duluth in their home opener at the O’Reilly Family Event Center on Nov. 16, they will host 19th ranked Union (Tenn.) on Nov. 24 and play at Truman State, tied for 23rd in the poll, on Jan. 17.
Two other teams that received votes for the top 25 are also on Drury’s schedule, Emporia State on Nov. 20 in Emporia, Kansas, and Michigan Tech on Dec. 18 in Springfield.
The coaches’ poll marks the 119th consecutive week the Lady Panthers have been ranked in the top 25, the longest streak in the nation. It is also their 57th straight week in the top 10.
The Lady Panthers play again on Nov. 12 when they take on Trevecca Nazarene in the first game of the Pops Duncan Classic in Nashville, Tennessee. Their home opener is Nov. 16 against Minnesota-Duluth.
Drury’s season ticket package is $180 and includes access to both the men’s and women’s regular season games at the O’Reilly Family Event Center. Season ticket holders have the same seats guaranteed for each Drury home game, receive a discount on additional single-game ticket purchases, and have early access to purchase postseason tickets. Drury teams have hosted an NCAA-II regional tournament five times since the O’ opened in 2010.
The Pouncer Pack provides a mini-season ticket plan good for four home dates during the regular season. For $33, Pouncer Pack ticket holders will have the same reserved seats for the men’s and women’s games on Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 12, and Feb. 26. Each of those four dates are Saturday contests with the women’s game at 1 pm and the men’s tipoff scheduled for 3 pm.
Fans can purchase season tickets online by contacting the O’Reilly Family Event Center box office at 417-873-7000 or email the box office, tickets@drury.edu. Current season ticket holders can also renew their seats online at www.drurypanthers.com.
NCAA-II Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Rank | School (2020-21 Record) | Total Points | 2020-21 Final Rank | First-Place Votes |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian (23-0) | 547 | 1 | 20 |
| 2 | Drury (24-2) | 524 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Lander (20-2) | 465 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Fort Hays State (22-4) | 408 | 10 | 0 |
| 5 | Azusa Pacific (12-5) | 356 | 16 | 0 |
| 6t | Central Missouri (23-5) | 339 | 4 | 0 |
| 6t | North Georgia (18-2) | 339 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | Ashland (16-9) | 326 | 20 | 0 |
| 9 | Gannon (13-1) | 311 | 26 | 0 |
| 10 | Texas A&M-Commerce (14-4) | 307 | 17 | 0 |
| 11 | Tampa (7-0) | 305 | NR | 0 |
| 12 | Alaska Anchorage (3-0) | 267 | NR | 0 |
| 13 | Stonehill (0-0) | 257 | NR | 0 |
| 14 | Glenville State (12-4) | 235 | 23 | 0 |
| 15 | Valdosta State (18-4) | 173 | 13 | 0 |
| 16 | Southwestern Okla. St. (18-4) | 171 | 15 | 0 |
| 17 | Charleston, WV (19-3) | 155 | 5 | 0 |
| 18 | Minnesota Duluth (14-2) | 150 | 12 | 0 |
| 19 | Union, TN (19-6) | 147 | 22 | 0 |
| 20 | Daemen (14-3) | 125 | 8 | 0 |
| 21 | Carson-Newman (15-4) | 124 | 24 | 0 |
| 22 | Bentley (0-0) | 93 | NR | 0 |
| 23t | Colorado Mines (17-3) | 89 | 21 | 0 |
| 23t | Truman State (17-5) | 89 | 27 | 0 |
| 25 | Belmont Abbey (22-3) | 80 | 7 | 0 |
| 25 | Hawaii Pacific (13-1) | 80 | 14 | 0 |
Dropped Out: No. 10 Michigan Tech (20-2); No. 18 Tusculum (19-4); No. 19 Arkansas Tech (14-2); No. 25 Tuskegee (12-2).
Others receiving votes: Michigan Tech (20-2) 59; Nebraska Kearney (23-4) 58; Indiana, PA (0-0) 57; Arkansas Tech (14-2) 51; Western Washington (6-0) 47; Tuskegee (12-2) 44; Barton (13-3) 41; Grand Valley State (14-6) 40; West Texas A&M (15-6) 40; Benedict (12-3) 30; Lee, TN (15-8) 24; Tusculum (19-4) 23; Augustana, SD (12-5) 20; Southeastern Oklahoma State (13-8) 17; University of the Sciences (0-0) 16; Texas A&M International (11-5) 15; Emporia State (18-7) 8; Walsh (17-7) 3.
#allweDUiswin
