DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake University women's basketball team used a key scoring run to start the second half to get past Southern Illinois, 80-65, Thursday night at the Knapp Center.

Sophomore Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) led the Drake (10-18, 5-12 MVC) offense with 20 points and a career-high 10 assists. Freshman Ashley Bartow (Sun Prairie, Wis.) added 16 points, while junior Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) had 13 points and 14 rebounds and a career-high five blocks for her team-leading ninth double-double of the year. Senior Stephanie Running (Oak Creek, Wis.) and junior Mary Pat Specht (Shawnee, Kan.) tallied eight and seven points, respectively.

Drake outshot and outrebounded the Salukis (4-24, 1-16 MVC), converting at a 50.8 percent clip from the field and holding a 41-35 advantage on the glass. Southern Illinois shot 35.3 percent from the field.

Southern Illinois was paced on offense by sophomore guard Cartaesha Macklin's 21 points, while freshman point guard Rishonda Napier added 15.

The Bulldogs asserted themselves quickly out of halftime, going on a 9-2 scoring run to open up a double-digit lead, 48-36, forcing the Salukis to burn a timeout. Drake remained hot offensively while playing tough defense, extending its lead to a game-high 20 points at the 11:23 mark and holding on to a double-digit lead for most of the remaining time in the game.

"So proud of our effort again tonight," Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. "We talked in the locker room how when we are on and focused and having fun we are a very good basketball team. We did a good job of limiting SIU's runs tonight. It was a big focus coming in, saying okay we are going to have our runs and we need to be sure to limit their runs."

The teams played back and forth basketball for most of the opening half before the Bulldogs jumped out with a 13-0 run, regaining the lead from Southern Illinois and holding a 12-point lead, 39-27, with 3:01 remaining in the half. The Salukis responded with their own run, cutting into their deficit, to trail by five points, 39-34, at halftime. Clark and Bartow each led the Drake attack with eight points each at the break.  

"Seeing 22 assists to 30 baskets is really big," Baranczyk said. "We also got two big double-double performances tonight from our leaders, Kyndal Clark and Morgan Reid, Kyndal with the 20 points and 10 assists and Morgan with 13 points and 14 rebounds. I'm so proud of their effort tonight."

Clark's double-double with points and assists is the first of her career. The Bulldogs had 30 field goals with 22 assists on the night. Drake's bench outscored SIU's, 27-22. The teams split the season series, each winning at home.

Drake concludes its regular season on Saturday at home against Evansville with seeding implications on the line for next week's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Charles, Mo. The Bulldogs will honor their lone senior, Running, prior to and after the game. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. at the Knapp Center.