CHICAGO – The Drake University women's basketball team overcame a fourth quarter charge by Loyola Friday in an 83-75 Missouri Valley Conference road win at Gentile Arena.
 
Drake (21-7, 13-3 MVC), which held a 16-point lead midway through the third quarter, trailed Loyola (15-11, 6-9 MVC) by one with 6:32 to go. But the Bulldogs stayed steady and countered with a 13-2 run pushing the lead to 10 points at 77-67 with just over three minutes left. Maddie Monahan scored nine points in the key run, Kierra Collier and Monica Burich, also scored during that span.
 
Monahan finished with 12 points, including nine in the final quarter. Burich and Collier each scored seven points in the fourth. Burich just missed double-figures with nine while Collier had 10. She also pulled down nine rebounds.
 
Becca Hittner recorded her sixth double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Hittner knocked down four three-pointers and now has 253 career three-pointers. Sara Rhine had 17 points and seven rebounds.
 
The first quarter featured runs by both teams as Hittner buried a late three-pointer for a 21-19 lead after one. Hittner scored a team-high seven points and was one of six Bulldogs to score.
 
Hittner's hot shooting carried over into the second as she knocked down two more three-pointers as the team made four total. Drake matched its then largest lead of 13 points on the night at halftime leading 45-32.
 
Rose scored eight points and handed out six assists. Monahan filled the stat sheet with three rebounds, three assists, three steals and hit 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
 
Drake held Loyola to 38.2 percent (26-of-68) shooting from the floor and 19.2 percent (5-of-19) from three. However, the Ramblers made their free throws going 18-of-23 (78.3 percent), and all were taken after the first quarter.
 
Drake visits Valparaiso Sunday for a 1 p.m. matinee on ESPN+. The Crusaders rallied to beat UNI, 72-69, Friday night at the ARC.