PEORIA, Ill. – Junior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) poured in a game-high 25 points and sophomore Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) scored 20 as the Drake University women's basketball overcame a slow start to push past the Bradley Braves, 76-64, on Friday night at Renaissance Coliseum.
 
Drake (13-6, 6-2 MVC), who trailed by 11 points late in the first quarter, chipped away at the deficit to start the second period before an 8-0 scoring run going into halftime giving the Bulldogs a 35-27 advantage. Dean had the final five points in the scoring run, including a clutch three with 1:18 remaining to give the Bulldogs their first lead at 33-31 since Wendell opened the contest with a layup.
 
"Tonight we didn't have the energy at the beginning and credit to Bradley because they came out with it and put us in a hole in that first quarter," said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. "But I'm proud of our team for overcoming that slow start and the better effort in the second quarter especially going into halftime. Lizzy, Maddy and Paige (Greiner) (Williamsburg, Iowa) did an excellent job of sparking us. Lizzy and Maddy both had some big baskets, and Paige made some great hustle plays getting on the floor going after the basketball."
 
At the 5:10 mark in the third quarter, junior Cortni Rush (Mason City, Iowa) had a huge rebound and putback to make the score 44-35, Drake's largest lead of the game at that point. Later, freshman Sara Rhine's (Eldon, Mo.) layup with 2:15 left in the quarter pushed Drake's advantage to 18, but the Braves ended the quarter on an 8-2 run to make it 56-44 after three periods.
 
Bradley battled back to pull within five points with just over three minutes to go in the game, but Dean quickly answered with a three and Wendell added a layup to get the lead back to 10 as Drake pulled away for the road win.
 
Drake battled poor shooting and turnovers in the opening quarter falling behind by as many as 11 points before closing the period on an 8-0 run to trail just 17-14 after one. Rhine, who had 10 points and nine rebounds on the night, led Drake with six points in the first period.
 
Bradley answered the Drake run with its own 7-0 run to open the second quarter but the Bulldogs regrouped behind Wendell who had in 10 points and Dean who had the final five points as part of a closing 8-0 run to give Drake a 35-31 halftime lead.
 
Wendell moved into 13^th all-time in career scoring with her 25 points, going in front of former standout Tammi Blackstone (1996-2000), who had 1,581 career points. Wendell has 1,596 career points and only needs 10 points to jump up to 11^th all-time in school history.
 
Junior Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) battled foul trouble all game, but still finished with seven points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Freshman Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) added six points off the bench. Fellow freshman Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) helped spark the Bulldogs on the glass with seven as the team outrebounded Bradley, 46-36.
 
Drake closes its Illinois road trip with a Sunday matinee at Loyola with tip-off against the Ramblers set for 2 p.m.