(Photo: Terry Griffin/DU Sports Communications)
They won together 35 times.
And they lost together only once.
So, together, Drury University’s Lady Panthers will get past the sting of losing in Wednesday night’s semifinals of the NCAA Division II women’s Elite 8 in Columbus, Ohio.
The tight-knit Lady Panthers players and coaches cried together and will move forward together. "This is a special group, and I think that's the reason why we're so upset," said Hailey Diestelkamp at Drury’s somber press conference following the 69-60 loss to fifth-seeded Lubbock Christian. "We had a blast this year, and I wouldn't have wanted to have spent the year with anybody else.