An undefeated season came to an end on Wednesday, March 27 as the Lady Panthers lost the NCAA-II semifinals to Lubbock Christian in Columbus, Oh. The Lady Panthers end the season with a 35-1 record.

Photo via drurypanthers.com.

This season marks the team’s second time ever advancing to the national semifinals, as well as their fourth NCAA-II Elite Eight appearance. This season also marked their first trip to the national quarterfinals since 2014. The Lady Panthers made the Elite Eight in 2007 and 2004, finishing as the runner-up in ’04.

Molly Miller, head women’s basketball coach, has been coaching for seven years, spending the past five with the Lady Panthers.

In a press release from Drury Athletics, Miller said, “It’s hard to go into our locker room and see those faces. I’ve seen all the hard work this group has done first hand. They’re great basketball players and great human beings. My biggest fear in all this is that they would think that what we’ve done isn’t good enough and that they’re a disappointment. Those kids are far from a disappointment. I’m proud of them. They are resilient, and they are fighters.”

Working as a team

As the Lady Panthers advanced past the regular playing season, it allowed them to extend their bond beyond the court. Junior forward, Hailey Diestelkamp, is proud to be a part of this team.

“The team dynamic is awesome. It’s such a great group of girls to be around, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. We know how to have fun off and on the court,” said Diestelkamp.

On the court, the Lady Panthers utilize their individual strengths, which served them well this season.

Daejah Bernard, junior point guard, said, “I think what makes this team special is everyone is accepting of their roles. Everyone knows what they are good at, and they are able to succeed in that area. I am extremely proud of all my teammates.”

In an interview with The Mirror, Coach Miller said, “This team has a special bond and is obviously extremely talented on the court. This is one of the best defensive teams I have coached. To force over 1,000 turnovers in a given year is absolutely an insane statistic.”

Miller expressed that the most meaningful moments this year have been seeing her team work their hardest to achieve what they set out to do at the beginning of the season.

“There was a lot of pressure this whole year to go beyond the Sweet 16 and that was so gratifying to witness our team accomplish their goals,” said Miller.

The Lady Panthers did more than just move past the Sweet 16. They made it to the national semifinals, losing to Lubbock Christian by only nine points.

Family on the court and on campus

Coach Miller considers her team a family. She could not be happier to have such a strong relationship with this group of women.

“Proud doesn’t seem like a big enough word to describe my feelings toward this group. To put in the work and see your goals become a reality is definitely a happy and overwhelming feeling of joy. These kids deserve to feel that triumph of putting in the work and seeing it pay off. That’s the best thing about coaching is enjoying the ups and downs and the whole process with people you love and care about,” said Miller.

While the team is close-knit group, Diestelkamp also credits the support of the entire Drury community.

“I knew Drury was always something special, and that is why I chose to come here in the first place. This season has taught me to take each and every game and not overlook anyone. It has also taught me that if you stay the course and buy in, good things will happen,” Diestelkamp stated.

Success this season

The Lady Panthers achieved tremendous success this season, earning the best winning percentage in the history of the program. Their season accomplishments continue to add up. The Lady Panthers have now won 30 games three seasons in a row, and the 2018-2019 season’s 35 wins will go down as the second most number of wins in the team’s history. The highest number of wins belongs to the national runner-up team of 2003-2004.

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named Hailey Diestelkamp the NCAA-II Player of the Year on March 25. Earlier in the season, both Diestelkamp and Daejah Bernard were named NCAA-II All-Americans by the WBCA. Furthermore, Coach Miller was named the United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA-II Coach of the Year at the end of this season.

The Lady Panthers believe that part of what kept them moving forward this season was the support of Drury’s staff, faculty and students.

“The family atmosphere is what makes Drury, Drury. We always tell everyone that this family atmosphere is the Drury difference. It is hard to find a school that supports you, along with your teammates and coaches. Everyone is so supportive, and we cannot thank them enough. Professors are so understanding of us missing classes; classmates are willing to work with us with makeup work, along with coming to games and cheering us on. The Drury difference is a real thing,” said Bernard.

Senior forward, Lucia Fernandez Escolano, appreciates of all the encouragement that surrounded the team as they progressed throughout the season.

“We are really thankful for the community’s support because they give us another reason to play hard every game and make the whole experience much more enjoyable. Thank you Fanther Nation,” said Fernandez Escolano.

Article written by Kate Bequette and Elaine Choate.