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SPRINGFIELD – Drury opened the 2016-17 season with an 82-75 win over Webster (Mo.) on Saturday at the O’Reilly Family Event Center in Springfield.
The Panthers had five players in double-figures led by Tevin Foster’s 17 points. Douglas Moore had 14, Isaac Johnson and John Williams both scored 13 while Grant Boswell added 12.
Drury started to pull away in the second half after being up 32-28 at halftime. The Panthers built an 11-point lead with 2:45 left leading 78-67, but Webster wouldn’t go away.
The Gorlocks went on an 8-0 run capped by five points straight points by CJ Moore who hit a jumper, then picked up a steal and converted a lay-up with 48 seconds left to pull Webster within three, 78-75.
Grant Boswell hit two free throws with 35 seconds remaining and a Tevin Foster steal moments later sealed the win.
“I was very disappointed in our defense,” said Drury head coach Steve Hesser. “We’re an inexperienced team. We have a lot of guys back but they’re all at the same position. Playing against a smaller team, we went small a lot so some of that experience wasn’t on the floor when we were playing just one big. The four guards we played were inexperienced and they have a lot to learn.”
Webster shot 51 percent from the field hitting 27 of 53 shots. Hunter Ward had 16 points and nine rebounds while Evan Milligan contributed 16 points as well.
The Panthers were 8 for 20 from three-point range led by with Johnson, the freshman from Kickapoo, going 3 for 5 from behind the arc in his collegiate debut.
The win was Drury’s 14th consecutive season-opening victory. The Panthers have never lost an opening night game under head coach Steve Hesser and haven’t dropped their first game of the season since Nov. 23, 2002 when they lost to Nebraska-Kearney 103-79.
Next for Drury is the Highway 13 Catfight presented by Bank of Bolivar as the Panthers take on Southwest Baptist at 7:30 p.m. in the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
