DALLAS, TEXAS ? If there were any lingering questions about whether Drake senior Jill Martin (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk) was back after missing nearly the entire 2006-07 season with a back injury she answered the critics with her 28th career double-double and third straight 20-point game to lead the Bulldogs to a 82-70 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday (Nov. 24) in the finale of the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic.

The win pushes Drake's ledger to 3-3 on the campaign, while returning the Broncos back to Michigan winless in tournament play at 2-4 overall.

Martin registered her second straight 27-point effort, while pulling down 12 rebounds, including a Drake season-high 10 on the defensive glass. Joining her in double-figures for the Bulldogs were senior Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman) and junior Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) with 15 points apiece. Junior Ashleigh Brady (Lubbock, Texas/Frenship) just missed double-figures with nine points off the bench. Tiera DeLahoussaye directed Western Michigan with 22 points.

Drake connected on a team season-high 11 three-pointers in the affair, including four triples from Martin alone.

An 11-0 run sparked by a pair of three-pointers from Martin midway through the first half helped Drake open up a 30-16 advantage over Western Michigan.

The lead swelled to as many as 17 points, 35-18, before the Broncos mounted a 10-0 charge of their own to cut the deficit to 35-28 with 2:37 remaining before the intermission.

Whorton made sure the Bulldogs took the lead into the half as she connected on back-to-back triples to end the stanza, including one as the time expired to give the Blue and White a 41-32 lead.

Martin directed Drake in the initial stanza with 13 points, including going a perfect 3-for-3 beyond the arc. Dybing recorded three consecutive baskets in the first half and added 11 points.

The Bulldogs continued the momentum in the final stanza as they led by as many as 16 points. The pesky Broncos made Drake earn the victory as Western Michigan twice the deficit to eight points, including 71-63 with 3:39 remaining.

The Bulldogs made sure the Broncos' rally fell flat as sophomore Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) drained a triple from the top of the arc with 3:10 remaining to give Drake a double-digit advantage, one it didn't relinquish.

The Bulldogs finished the affair shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, while tickling the twines from beyond the arc at a .524 clip. Western Michigan posted a 41.3 percent shooting mark.

On the strength of 12, seven and seven rebounds from Martin, junior Kelsey Keizer (Arnolds Park, Iowa/Okoboji) and sophomore Monique' Jones (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North), respectively the Blue and White outrebounded the Broncos, 41-36.

Martin represented Drake on the all-tournament team.

The Bulldogs now have eight days off before their next contest versus Montana State on Dec. 2 at 2:05 p.m.