Drury women advance in Division II, but Emporia State loses

The Drury women will move on in NCAA Division II, but Emporia State won’t be joining them.

The Panthers crushed Wayne State 99-63 in the Midwest Regional final in Springfield. Bethanie Funderburk and Sanayika Shields both scored 21 points for the Panthers, who advance to the Elite Eight in Erie, Pa.

The Hornets erased most of an 18-point deficit in the second half but couldn’t complete the comeback in a 70-67 loss to Concordia-St. Paul for the Central Regional championship in Searcy, Ark.

Merissa Quick scored 21 points for the Hornets.

• In the men’s Midwest Regional final, top-seeded Drury plays Michigan Tech at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Springfield. Also Tuesday night, Northwest Missouri plays Central Missouri in the Central Regional final at Mankato, Minn.

The winners advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind.

• The National Junior College Athletic Association Division II women’s tournament opens Tuesday at the Johnson County Community College gymnasium, 12345 College Boulevard in Overland Park.

A six-game schedule starts at 9 a.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students with valid high school or college ID and $1 for children 7-12. Children 6 and under are admitted free.

No. 3 St. Clair County (Mich.) vs. No. 14 North Central (Mo.), 9 a.m.

No. 6 Louisburg (N.C.) vs. No. 11 Monroe (N.Y.), 11 a.m.

No. 7 Lake Michigan (Mich.) vs. No. 10 Parkland (Ill.), 1 p.m.

No. 1 North Iowa Area vs. No. 16 Dakota-Bottineau (N.D.), 3 p.m.

No. 2 Highland (Kan.) vs. No. 15 Essex County (N.J.), 6 p.m.

No. 8 Kankakee (Ill.) vs. No. 9 Cincinnati State, 8 p.m.

No. 4 Mesa (Ariz.) vs. No. 13 Mercyhurst North East (Pa.), 11 a.m.

No. 5 Kishwaukee (Ill.) vs. No. 12 Chesapeake (Md.), 1 p.m.

This story was originally published March 17, 2014 at 11:24 PM with the headline "Drury women advance in Division II, but Emporia State loses."