The Butler women’s basketball team continued its winning streak last Sunday, defeating Virginia Commonwealth 65-45.

This win marked the fourth in a row for the Bulldogs (13-7, 4-1), who have won 10 of their last 12.

Although the Rams (8-12, 1-4) played close for most of the game, Butler began to pull away at the midpoint of the second half.

After stretching their lead to eight at the 10-minute mark, the Bulldogs never looked back, outscoring VCU 24-12 from that point on.

Junior forward Daress McClung led the Bulldogs with a game-high 25 points, nine rebounds and five steals.

“I felt like we brought a lot of energy,” McClung said. “We really focused in on what we were working on.”

Coach Beth Couture said she was uneasy about how her team would handle playing against the Rams’ zone defense.

“I was a little nervous going into the game, knowing they play so much zone,” Couture said.

However, McClung had no problem scoring against the zone-heavy VCU squad.

She shot 56 percent from the field, including three 3-pointers.

Junior guard Mandy McDivitt contributed 10 points and four assists.

“We just knew that if we had our heads up, somebody was going to be open,” McDivitt said.

Sophomore center Liz Stratman was also effective, totaling 10 points, nine boards and four blocks for the Bulldogs.

Stratman has been a difference-maker for the Bulldogs this season.

Since she became eligible to play in December, Butler has posted a 9-2 record with Stratman on the floor.

Stratman, a transfer from Xavier, was forced to sit out the first 10 games of the season.

The team was 5-5 before her arrival.

The Bulldogs are tied with Fordham for second in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Butler faces a tough test in their next matchup, a road game versus Saint Joseph’s.

The Hawks are 13-5 overall and 4-0 in conference play.

The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. tonight.