DES MOINES, Iowa – It was a nail biter at the Knapp Center on Thursday evening, as the Indiana State Women's Basketball team pulled out a narrow 73-71 victory on the road to begin the final weekend of regular season action.

ISU improved to 18-10 overall and 13-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference and earned its fifth-straight win. ISU sits in a three-way tie for first place in the league with one game remaining on Saturday.

It came down to the wire, as Drake would take a one point lead with 7:42 to play. The two teams traded buckets for the next five minutes as the game was knotted 68-68 with 2:42 to play.

Senior guard Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir knocked down a layup with 2:18 to play and drew the foul to help ISU take a 71-68 lead. The game came down to free throws, as Indiana State didn't make a field goal after Abdul-Qaadir's layup and Drake didn't hit a shot in the final 4:55. An ISU foul sent Drake to the line for the bonus with 1:52 to play as it converted on both shots.

Drake had opportunities to take a lead, but freshman forward and MVC Newcomer of the Week Lizzy Wendell missed a bucket with 1:11 to play. Big offensive rebounds by senior guard Anna Munn and junior forward Racheal Mahan helped keep the Sycamores'' possession with 15 seconds left on the clock.

In all, Abdul-Qaadir went 3-for-3 from the line in the final 2:18 to help seal the deal.

ISU shot 51.9 percent from the field on the evening to help overcome the MVC's highest scoring offense that averages 72.2 points per game. Four players scored in double-figures as Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir led the Sycamores dropped 23 points. She went 8-for-14 from the floor, including two 3-pointers and dished out a game-high six assists.

Senior guard Anna Munn, junior forwards Jasmine Grier and Chelsea Small added 11 points each. Munn tied for a game-high six rebounds in the win. The victory marked the sweep of the Bulldogs for the second-straight season.

The Sycamores put together one if its finest performances in a single half this season, going 72 percent from the floor (18-for-25) and 72.7 percent from 3-point range (8-for-11). The 48 first half points ranked second-highest in a half this season; only behind the second half 53 point performance versus the Bulldogs at home on Jan. 5.  

Indiana State narrowly out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 33-30, backed by six from Munn. Junior forward Racheal Mahan and Abdul-Qaadir each pulled down five. The Sycamores also dished out 15 assists on 28 made shots. Grier led with three steals, while Small and junior guard Natasha Zurek each had a block.

With the win and Northern Iowa win over Illinois State on Thursday, ISU, UNI and Wichita State all sit with a 13-4 record in MVC action.  ISU continues on to close out the regular season on Saturday with Northern Iowa while Wichita State face Missouri State at home on Sunday. A win for ISU will give them a share of its first MVC regular season championship since 2005-06.

Tipoff for Saturday's game between the Sycamores and Panthers is set for 3 p.m. ET in the McLeod Center.

For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.