PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior Whitney Tinjum (Stacy, Minn./Chisago Lakes/Washington State) scored 12 of her team-high 14 points in the second half to help Bradley cut an 18-point third-quarter deficit to five with three minutes left, but the Braves went the final 3:30 of play without a field goal as Drake hold on for a 76-64 victory Friday at Renaissance Coliseum. 

After Drake (13-6 overall, 6-2 MVC) scored the first basket of the contest, Bradley (5-14 overall, 1-7 MVC) used a 10-0 run to grab a 10-2 lead nearing the midway point of the first quarter, with sophomore Anneke Schlueter (Ulm, Germany/Max-Weber-Schule) knocking down a three-pointer and notching an assist during the run. 

Later in the quarter, Schlueter added another three and Tinjum had a steal and breakaway layup to give the Braves a 17-6 advantage eight minutes into the game.  The Bulldogs ended the quarter with an 8-0 run, however, to cut the Bradley advantage to 17-14 after the first.

The Braves scored the first seven points of the second quarter, extending the lead back to double digits at 24-14 before Lizzy Wendell took over Drake.  Wendell scored 10 points during a three-and-a-half minute stretch and pulled the Bulldogs within one point at 31-30 with a three-pointer with 2:42 to play in the half.  Maddy Dean gave Drake a 33-31 lead with a three-pointer and she added another hoop with 24 second on the clock to give the Bulldogs a 35-31 halftime advantage.

Bradley was within three points (38-35) 7:38 to play in the third quarter following a pair of Leti Lerma (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) free throws, but an eight-minute stretch without a field goal allowed Drake to go on a 16-1 run.  Dean scored eight points in a four-minute span as the Bulldogs built a 54-36 lead with just over two minutes left in the third.

A pair of Tinjum three-pointers in the closing minutes of the third frame helped Bradley cut the deficit to 56-44.  Drake led 64-50 with 6:17 to play when freshman Vanessa Markert (Mt. Sterling, Ill./Brown County) helped spark a run by the Braves.

Markert had four free throws and a rebound in a one-minute stretch and a pair of Schlueter three's made it a two possession game at 66-60 with 3:30 to play.  Lerma split a pair of free throws at the three-minute mark to cut the Drake lead to five (66-61), but Dean answered with a three-pointer and back-to-back Wendell steals led to layups for the Bulldogs who quickly pushed the lead back to double digits at 73-60.  The Braves were 0-for-7 from the field with two turnovers down the stretch, as Drake handed Bradley a 76-64 loss to move the Bulldogs into a four-way tie atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

Tinjum was 4-for-6 from the field in the second half, collecting 12 points, three boards, one assist and two steals in the final 20 minutes en route to a team-high 14 points.  Schlueter hit four three's for all 12 of her points in addition to dishing out four assists.  Her 42 three's on the year are the most by a Brave since Katie Yohn hit 57 triples in 2011-12.  Markert added a season-high 11 points and three steals in 13 minutes off the bench as she scored in double figures for the second time in three outings. 

Wendell scored 25 points to pace three Drake players in double figures.  Dean added 20 points, while Sara Rhine tallied 10 points, nine boards, two blocks and two steals off the bench.  Drake committed 26 turnovers, but held Bradley to 32.8 percent shooting and the Bulldogs held a 46-36 edge in rebounding.

Bradley continues a four-game, home stand Sunday with a 2 p.m. game against Northern Iowa at Renaissance Coliseum.  Head Coach Michael Brooks will host a pre-game “Chalk Talk” at 1:15 p.m. and the Braves will conduct a free post-game clinic for children eighth grade and under.