SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team emphatically ended a six-game slide on Thursday evening, as five players scored in double figures and the Knights had a game-breaking 22-2 run in the second half of a resounding 67-48 victory over Illinois-Springfield in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

While Bellarmine (9-9, 4-6 GLVC) took a slim 25-24 lead over the Prairie Stars (5-13, 1-9) into halftime, the Knights thoroughly dominated the second half by outscoring their conference rival 42-24. During Bellarmine's losing streak, the Knights struggled mightily with their shooting and that continued in the first half against Illinois Springfield, but BU hit a sizzling 51.7 percent of its shots after halftime.

Freshman forward Beth Bowers and sophomore guard Whitney Hartlage tied for game-high scoring honors with 16 points apiece. Freshman guard Raven Merriweather added 12 points, while senior forward Morgan Clemons and sophomore guard Destony Curry chipped in 10 apiece. Clemons also had a game-high eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Kelsey Adwell racked up a game-best six assists and four steals.

Bellarmine unleashed an active and opportunistic defense that produced a season-high 28 turnovers by Illinois Springfield. As a result, the Knights had a staggering 34-4 advantage in points off turnovers. Led by Adwell, BU's 14 steals were its second most in a game this season. The same was true of Bellarmine's 17 assists, also guided by Adwell's performance.

Most importantly, the 48 points Bellarmine allowed was its shrewdest effort of the season by a relatively sizable 10 points. The Knights yielded 24 points in each half, particularly clamping down after the break when the Prairie Stars only shot 39.1 percent.

After a tight first half, Bellarmine began breaking away from Illinois Springfield starting at the 13-minute mark of the second frame. That's when junior guard Mackenzie Martinez fed Hartlage for a jumper that kick-started the decisive 22-2 run. Hartlage and Curry both drilled 3-pointers during the outburst, Bowers had multiple baskets, and Merriweather and Clemons each picked up a bucket as the Knights' lead ballooned to 58-35 with 5:37 left.

Jameeshia Armstrong was the only player to scoring in double figures for Illinois Springfield, posting 11 points. None of the other Prairie Stars scored more than eight points.

Bellarmine will remain on the road and play at 2 p.m. (ET) on Saturday at McKendree.

BOX SCORE (HTM)