Gallatin, Tenn. - DePauw closed the first half on an 11-2 run and outscored Southern Virginia, 34-15, in the second half for a 71-42 victory in each school's opening game of the Music City Classic at Welch College. The Tigers improved to 6-3 with their fifth straight win, while the Knights dropped to 4-4.

Southern Virginia took a 17-15 lead into the second quarter after DePauw connected on just 4-if-18 field goals in the opening period. The Knights extended the lead to four in the opening minutes of the second before Lily Huntzinger and Ava Hassel buried back-to-back 3-pointers. 

The Tigers led, 26-25, before Tori Allen scored eight straight points to extend the lead to 34-25 with 1:09 left in the half. The Knights stopped the run, but Moira McGinley pushed the halftime lead to 37-27 with a trey in the closing seconds.

DePauw opened the second half on a 10-2 run capped by Riley Mont's 3-pointer to make it 47-29. The Tigers ended the quarter with a 7-1 stretch to extend the lead to 54-33. A 10-2 run to open the final stanza sealed the victory for the Tigers.

Allen paced the Tigers with 14 points, while Diana Burgher and Hassel each added 12. Burgher and Ainsley Boras each grabbed five rebounds with Hassel dishing out three assists and recording four steals.

Alyssa Weiland paced the Knights with seven points and Ruth Kempler hauled down 10 rebounds.

DePauw shot 40.3 percent from the floor and hit 11-of-22 from 3-point ranges, while Southern Virginia connected on 30 percent from the field and just 3-of-22 from beyond the arc. DePauw held a 44-40 edge on the boards.

The Tigers face seventh-ranked Wartburg tomorrow at 1 p.m. CST. Wartburg suffered its first loss of the season today after an 85-51 loss to Whitman earlier today.