VALPARAISO, Ind. — The Drake women’s basketball team had a 20-point lead and a share of the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Bulldogs lost both.

Valparaiso rallied from a 20-point deficit midway through the third quarter to defeat Drake 66-65 in Thursday’s MVC clash, knocking the Bulldogs out of a three-way tie atop the league standings.

Drake (20-10, 14-5) led 47-27 with 5:48 left in the third quarter but got outscored 39-18 the rest of the way to suffer a staggering loss.

The host Beacons (13-17, 9-10) fought back to within 10 after three quarters, 53-43, and didn’t take the lead until Leah Earnest sank a pair of free throws with one second left.

Drake advanced the ball to its offensive zone with a final timeout, but Katie Dinnebier’s jumper at the buzzer was off the mark.

Valparaiso led for much of the first half before the Bulldogs pushed past by scoring the last 12 points of the second quarter for a 35-24 lead at the intermission.

Earnest led Valpo with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Neveah Jackson added 15 points. Katie Meyer made four 3-pointers for 12 points, and Maci Rhoades added 11.

Dinnebier scored a game-high 30 to lead Drake, but was the only Bulldog with more than six points. Courtney Becker had six points and 12 rebounds. Abbie Aalsma, Anna Miller, Shannon Fornshell and Ava Hawthorne had six points each for the Bulldogs.

Drake closes the regular season at Illinois-Chicago on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Valparaiso 66, Drake 65

DRAKE (20-10, 14-5) — Aalsma 2-7 0-0 6, Fornshell 2-7 1-2 6, Dinnebier 11-24 5-7 30, Miller 3-8 0-0 6, Becker 3-6 0-0 6, McCabe 1-2 0-0 3, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Hawthorne 2-5 1-2 6, Dailey 1-3 0-0 2, Gray 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 25-63 7-11 65.

VALPARAISO (13-17, 9-10) — Rhoades 4-7 0-0 11, Shabtai 1-4 0-0 3, Jackson 4-9 5-5 15, Gold 1-3 2-2 4, Earnest 5-14 6-8 16, Connolly 2-3 0-0 5, Beyer 4-7 0-0 12, Preston 0-1 0-0 0, Waytashek 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 21-49 13-15 66.

DRAKE 15 20 18 12 — 65

VALPARAISO 20 4 19 23 — 66

3-Point Goals–Drake 8-29 (Dinnebier 3-9, Aalsma 2-6, McCabe 1-2, Hawthorne 1-3, Fornshell 1-4, Miller 0-1, Dailey 0-1, Gray 0-1, Becker 0-2), Valparaiso 11-26 (Beyer 4-5, Rhoades 3-6, Jackson 2-6, Shabtai 1-3, Gold 0-1, Waytashek 0-1, Earnest 0-2). Rebounds–Drake 37 (Becker 12), Valparaiso 27 (Earnest 7). Assists–Drake 14 (Dinnebier, Miller 4), Valparaiso 14 (Earnest 4). Total Fouls–Drake 18, Valparaiso 18. Fouled Out–Becker, Hawthorne, Jackson, Connolly. A–290.