DES MOINES, Iowa - Bradley used a big third-quarter charge to defeat the Drake University women's basketball team 80-75 Saturday afternoon at the Knapp Center to earn a Missouri Valley Conference series split with the Bulldogs.
 
In Friday's first meeting between the teams, Drake prevailed 71-56 thanks in large part to holding Bradley's top two scorers, Lasha Petree and Gabi Haack, in check. However, Petree and Haack scored 28 and 23 points, respectively, Saturday to split the series with the Bulldogs.
 
Drake was paced by four Bulldogs in double-figure scoring, with Maggie Negaard's 13 points leading the way. Six of Negaard's points came during Drake's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.
 
Kierra Collier and Maddie Monahan each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs and Monica Burich continued her strong play with 10 points and seven rebounds. Current MVC Player of the Week Maggie Bair nearly had another double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
 
Drake held a 46-44 lead midway through the third quarter before Bradley ripped off 12-straight points in two minutes behind five points from Haack to take a 56-46 lead. That run was part of a 20-6 run that allowed Bradley to lead by as many as 13 points in the quarter's final minutes.
 
The Braves outscored the Bulldogs 35-19 in the decisive third quarter while shooting 11-of-14 from the field and 4-of-4 from the three-point arc.
 
The Bulldogs faced a 9-point, 66-57, deficit to start the fourth quarter before a Collier three-pointer continued a slow, tactical dismantling of that lead. Five-straight points from Negaard midway through the period trimmed the deficit to 72-70 and the Bulldogs stayed within two possessions for the remainder of the contest.
 
With less than 30 seconds left and trailing 77-74, the Bulldogs committed a critical turnover and then had to foul the Braves two times before sending the Braves to the line to extend the game. Bradley made three of its four free throws in the waning seconds to keep the Bulldogs at bay and preserve an 80-75 road win.
 
Drake led by as many as 15 points early in the second quarter after a 19-7 run. But Bradley trimmed that down to a 38-31 deficit at halftime as the Bulldogs shooting went cold with just one field goal in the final eight minutes of the opening half as Bradley's offense started to work toward its third-quarter outburst.
 
The Bulldogs continue the Valley season next weekend with a Jan. 7-8 series at Evansville. Both contests are scheduled for 6 p.m.