MACOMB, Ill.-- Led by Mia Loyd's 26 points and 21 more from Makailah Dyer, the University of North Dakota earned its fifth straight win with an 85-77 victory at Western Illinois Saturday evening. The pair helped spark a second-half run that saw UND score the first 11 points out of the break to lead for good.

"We made a couple adjustments at halftime and credit our assistant coaches for making good points," UND head coach Travis Brewster said. "The team responded. That's a very good ballclub we beat tonight. We take things day by day, but I'm proud of the ladies for the start to the season."

North Dakota (5-1) is out to its best start in its NCAA Division I era. It was a push in the opening minutes of the second stanza that provided the needed boost as UND went on an 11-0 run and later had a 13-2 spurt midway through the period to mount a 19-point cushion.

WIU (3-3) used three-point buckets by five different players, including five by Michelle Farrow to stay in the ballgame and help whittle the lead down to five in the closing minutes. UND never relented, however, making clutch free throws and earning its fourth win away from home already this season.

Dyer made her first four shots from the floor to get UND out to an early lead. WIU would wrestle the lead away a handful of different times in the first half, but each time, North Dakota responded. The Leathernecks held five different leads in the opening stanza, but never enjoyed an edge larger than a bucket and only led for 1:49 combined as the road team continually countered.

After a Liz Skotowski three made it 34-33 WIU, Kelsey Knox answered and later Bailey Strand sank three of four free throws as the teams went to the locker room all knotted at 38. It would be a different story in the second frame.

Emily Evers hit a pair of freebies followed by a Leah Szabla drive and bucket and a long Dyer triple that had UND out to a quick seven-point lead just over a minute after the break. Loyd then scored the next four UND points and Megan Lauck drained a three from the left wing for a dozen advantage.

A Loyd jumper with 8:26 to go jacked the lead to 19 for North Dakota. But, the Leathernecks had a final push with a 16-2 stretch that started with 10 straight points for the home team. The lead would diminish to five on several occasions, but each time, Loyd had a basket or free throws to keep it out of reach and the reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week tallied her third double-double of the season.

Four UND players were in double figures as Leah Szabla chipped in 12 points and Emily Evers added 10 in the win.

Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Ashley Luke finished with team-high 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Leathernecks. Michelle Farrow and Michelle Maher each contributed 17 for WIU.

UND will host Dickinson State Tuesday night at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.