LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ran up a 17-point lead in the first half and powered past Bellarmine 71-61 in women's Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball action Thursday.
         It was a rare victory at Knights Hall for the Cougars, now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the GLVC. The only other time SIUE has won at Bellarmine was the 2000-2001 season. Bellarmine, which knocked off the prevous No. 1 Grand Valley State last week, dropped to 4-1 and 0-1 in the GLVC.
         SIUE's inside and outside game were on display Thursday. Amber Shelton led all scorers with 20 points. Off-guard Whitney Sykes pumped in 19 points, including three three-pointers. Forward/center Julianne McMillen scored 16 on 6-of-8 shooting.
         SIUE's defense held Bellarmine, which earned a No. 1 vote in last week's WBCA/NCAA Division II poll but did not break into the Top 25, to 23 percent shooting in the first half and 32.9 percent for the game.
         Sykes gave the Cougars a 17-point lead with back-to-back three-pointers with 3:24 left to play in the first half. Bellarmine fought back with three-pointers from Angela Smith and Patricia Bennett to cut the lead 35-25 by halftime.
         Bellarmine was down by double digits for much of the second half, cutting SIUE's lead to five as Bennett hit a three-pointer with 11:50 to go.
         SIUE now heads to Highland Heights, Ky., to face Northern Kentucky. Game time Saturday is 1 p.m. EST.
                  -siue cougars-