ST. LOUIS — This is becoming a welcomed trend for the No. 17 Bellarmine University women's basketball team.

For the second straight game, the previously slow-starting Knights took charge early, building a 41-25 lead at halftime en route to a 74-61 victory over Maryville on Thursday at Moloney Arena in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

Senior forward Sarah Galvin hit 9-of-15 shots in scoring 20 points with a game-high nine rebounds for Bellarmine (19-4, 11-3 GLVC), while junior guard Raven Merriweather added 14 points, four steals and three assists. Freshman guard Mikayla Berry returned from injury to post 13 points and had two blocks against the Saints (11-10, 7-7), who saw their five-game winning streak snapped.

Bellarmine delivered perhaps its most complete game of the season. Maryville entered the game leading the GLVC in scoring defense (57.7), but the Knights surpassed the Saints' average with close to 9 minutes left. Bellarmine shot a season-best 58.8 percent behind two splendid halves shooting the ball — 55.2 in the first and 63.6 in the second. The Knights owned the interior, with a 44-18 superiority in points in the paint.

On top of that, Maryville also entered leading the league in 3-point percentage defense (24.6 percent), but Bellarmine stroked five of its 11 attempts for a 45.5 percent clip. Berry led the way with a trio of trifectas and guided the Knights to a 23-8 advantage in bench points.

Bellarmine also delivered defensively. The Knights held Maryville to 33.3 percent shooting from the floor, easily their shrewdest effort over the last 10 games. The 61 points allowed was the lowest in that span. Stephanie Sherwood scored 30 points for the Saints, with a lot of that production coming from the free-throw line where she was 12 of 15.

In its previous game, a 78-66 victory over Missouri S&T, Bellarmine shot out to a 23-8 lead over the Miners after one quarter. The Knights also got off on the right foot against Maryville, as Galvin sandwiched a jumper and traditional three-point play around a steal and layup by Merriweather for a quick 7-2 lead. Bellarmine took an eight-point lead on a basket by senior guard Destony Curry and eventually held a 23-17 advantage after shooting 60 percent in the first quarter.

Berry heated up in the second quarter. Her 3-pointer was followed by a traditional three-point play from Merriweather as Bellarmine led by 10. Berry then drilled another trifecta and Galvin a jumper as the Knights' advantage swelled to 39-22.

Bowers opened the second half with a bucket, and Bellarmine boosted its lead to 22 when senior guard Whitney Hartlage found Berry for one of her five assists. The Knights were never threatened in the fourth quarter.

Bellarmine will play at 2 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Missouri-St. Louis.

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