In the second meeting between the Bulldogs and Salukis this season, the SIU women’s basketball team looked to avenge its loss from earlier in the year.

First place Drake entered the contest in hopes of defending its perfect 9-0 record in MVC play and create further separation from the second-place Salukis.

After leading for the majority of the game, SIU surrendered its advantage in the fourth quarter and fell to the Bulldogs (15-7, 10-0 MVC), 84-73.

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Southern hit the ground running early in the contest as they jumped to a 14-3 advantage led by freshman guard Makenzie Silvey’s back to back 3-pointers.

Drake utilized off-ball screens effectively which led to two consecutive 3-pointers from the Bulldogs. The consecutive buckets from beyond the arc brought the game within three as the first quarter ended.

Senior guard Kylie Giebelhausen made her presence known early in the second quarter as she nailed two 3-pointers and a layup that gave Southern a 31-20 lead.

Giebelhausen went on to finish the contest with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

The Salukis were able to hold on to their lead for the remainder of the quarter as they went into halftime with a 37-30 advantage.

Southern found its largest lead of the contest at the 7:20 mark of the third quarter as sophomore forward Nicole Martin sank two jumpers and a layup that gave SIU a 46-32 lead.

Martin finished the game with a career-high of 24 points along with two rebounds and two steals.

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Drake once again used its long-range shooting to help battle back into the game.

In the final minute of the third quarter, the Bulldogs sank a crucial 3-pointer that brought them within one.

Southern answered with a quick layup that sent the game into the fourth quarter with a 57-54 lead.

The Bulldogs found their first lead of the game midway into the final frame, as they outscored the Salukis 11-7 and gained a one-point advantage.

Drake never looked back, as it put up eight unanswered points that created a 73-64 lead.

The Salukis were unable to recover from the Bulldogs late run and were outscored 11-9 in the remainder of the contest.

The key to the game was the production from the bench players.

Drake’s bench netted 42 total points, while SIU’s bench only totaled two points in the loss that dropped the Salukis into third place in the MVC.

Up next, the Salukis (13-9, 7-3 MVC) will complete their two-game road trip when they take on Northern Iowa on Feb. 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Sports reporter Dillon Gilliland can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @DillonGilliland.

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