Tough schedule awaits confident Drury Lady Panthers

For the News-Leader

There is no dancing around it: The Drury Lady Panthers desire a national championship like pop singers crave their first No. 1 hits.

It's going to happen. But when?

Drury came so close last year — and the two years before that.

“I am hungry. We’re ready for that national championship,” admits fifth-year guard Payton Richards of West Plains.

Coach Amy Eagan puts it this way about the team that returns four starters: “They are on a mission.”

The previous three team missions didn’t fail. They frustratingly fell back to Earth after near-perfect flights.

Drury lost in the Elite Eight championship game last March, despite a stunning late comeback. The Lady Panthers were 32-0 before…