MOLINE, Ill. -- Lizzy Wendell scored 17 points and No. 20 Drake beat Illinois State 64-40 on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals, tying an MVC record with its 20th consecutive victory.
The Bulldogs (26-4) play the winner of No. 4 seed Southern Illinois and No. 5 seed Wichita State in a Saturday semifinal. Their victory over the Redbirds (8-23) tied the win streak record held by the 2013-14 Wichita State team.
The Redbirds, who lost by 52 and 51 points to the Bulldogs in the regular season, trailed only 20-18 at halftime. But Drake broke the game open by outscoring Illinois State 24-8 in the third quarter and built its largest lead of 27 points in the final period.