The Bank of Bolivar Highway 13 Catfight

The Drury University Panther basketball teams are already off to a great season. It started with a close “catfight” against the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats and has continued to be nothing short of fantastic.

The Bank of Bolivar Highway 13 Catfight made the basketball rivalry between Drury University and Southwest Baptist University official in 2014. It has since evolved, growing to include a fundraising challenge and a side-by-side stunt competition.

Drury blew the competition out of the water, but that’s not to say it wasn’t a close game. The Lady Panthers won with an overwhelming final score of 92-81, while the Panthers won 85-75.

As if winning the game wasn’t enough, Drury’s newly launched stunt team won two of the three categories presented. Drury also came out on top in the Catfight Giving Challenge, raising $153,978 to SBU’s $111,317.

The Catfight was only the beginning of Drury’s wins. As of the end of November, the men’s basketball team has only faced one loss this season, placing them at 4:1, while the women’s team is undefeated at 6:0.

Athletes to watch

Perhaps the Panther’s success can be linked to their star players. Junior Hailey Diestelkamp was named Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Week after a record-setting performance on Nov. 13.

Ed Beach, the assistant athletic director, detailed Diestelkamp’s stellar performance.

Catfight scoreboard (photos via drurypanthers.com and Delilah Gadd).

“[Diestelkamp] set a program record with 42 points in the 92-81 win over Southwest Baptist. She also broke a team record with 16 made field goals in the game as she went 16 for 28 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line. She also snared 17 rebounds while dishing out three assists and she added two steals,” said Beach.

It’s not just the Lady Panthers with mad skills, however. Head coach of men’s basketball, Steve Hesser, is certainly impressed by the performance of senior Allen Billinger.

“When you see the ball go in the basket, it gives you more energy, and I thought Allen did a nice job and made some big buckets for us, and he played his best game offensively since he’s been here,” said Hesser in a recent press release.

Support the Panthers

The season has only just begun, but it is obvious that the Drury Panthers aren’t going to slow down any time soon. To check out all of the action, head to the O’Reilly Family Event Center on game days to see the Panthers take over the Ozarks and beyond.

Written by Delilah Gadd.