DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — Julia Coleman scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Illinois-Chicago to a 69-61 victory over Drake in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Knapp Center.

The Flames, who avenged a 16-point home loss to the Bulldogs from December, improved to 13-14 overall. Drake fell to 8-18.

Coleman, a 6-foot junior from St. Louis, Missouri, was efficient from the field, making 10 of her 19 attempts. She anchored a decisive third-quarter surge for Illinois-Chicago and sealed the game with clutch free throws in the final minute. She was complemented by guard Jessica Carrothers, who added 20 points.

Drake was led by Lexi Carlsen’s 15 points and Brooklin Dailey’s 11 points. The Bulldogs struggled with ball security, committing 12 turnovers that led to 14 points for the Flames, while Illinois-Chicago gave the ball away only six times.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the third quarter. Trailing 30-28 after a Dailey jumper, Illinois-Chicago unleashed a 12-0 run to seize control. The spurt was fueled by defensive intensity. Coleman started it with a layup off an assist from Magdalena Winter, then hit a jumper to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, Crystal Ortiz stole the ball from Drake’s Anna Becker, leading to a Carrothers jumper that gave the Flames the lead for good.

After a Drake timeout failed to stop the momentum, Jessica Carrothers stole the ball from Grace Knutson and converted a fast-break layup. Another Drake turnover, this time by Becker, led to another Carrothers basket, capping the run and putting Illinois-Chicago ahead 40-30 with 6:07 left in the quarter. The Flames’ defense held Drake without a field goal for over four minutes during the pivotal stretch.

Drake never fully recovered. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to 55-53 on a Dailey layup with 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, but could not draw even. Coleman answered with a layup and a free throw on the next possession, and Carrothers followed with a jumper to push the lead back to seven.

The Bulldogs made one final push, closing to 61-58 on a Carlsen three-pointer with 2:57 left. But Illinois-Chicago’s defense tightened again, holding Drake to just three points over the final three minutes. Coleman and Amelia Strong combined to make four crucial free throws in the last 38 seconds to secure the road win.

Statistically, the game was won on margins. Both teams shot an identical 27 of 57 from the field, but Illinois-Chicago attempted 10 more free throws, making 14, compared to Drake’s 5-of-9 performance at the line. The Flames also dominated the assist column, dishing out six to Drake’s two, and recorded six steals.

Illinois-Chicago’s Amelia Strong, a 6-2 forward from Niagara Falls, New York, was a force inside, just missing a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. For Drake, Abbie Aalsma finished with 11 points.

The victory gives Illinois-Chicago momentum heading into the final stretch of the conference schedule. The Flames host Bradley on Thursday. Drake looks to regroup on the road at Evansville, also on Thursday.