Sophomore guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) and junior guard Tanner Marcum (New Albany, Indiana) combined for 48 points as University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball earned a 74-61 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over visiting Maryville University Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center.
Grooms finished with a career-best and USI season-high 27 points, while Marcum added 21 points as USI ended a 10-game losing streak.
After falling behind by a point midway through the opening quarter, the Screaming Eagles used a 13-2 run to take an 18-8 lead late in the first period.
Maryville (10-11, 4-10 GLVC) cut USI’s advantage to three midway through the second quarter, but back-to-back three-pointers by junior guard Kendyl Dearing (Huntingburg, Indiana) gave the Eagles a 31-22 cushion with 4:30 to play in the half.
The Saints got to within six points late in the second frame, but a 6-0 run that featured baskets by Grooms, Marcum, and freshman center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) staked the Eagles to a 41-29 lead at the break.
An old-fashioned three-point play by Grooms early in the third period saw USI’s advantage balloon to a game-high 14 points (49-35). Grooms had 18 of her 27 points in the final 20 minutes as USI’s lead did not slip below nine points throughout the final 19 minutes of the contest.
USI (11-11, 4-10 GLVC) dominated the game inside the lane as it outscored the Saints 30-14 in the paint. The Eagles had five players with at least five rebounds, including five for both Grooms and Marcum, as USI held a 36-32 rebounding edge.
The Eagles also went 6-of-13 from downtown, with Dearing scoring all nine of her points from behind the arc.
Sophomore guard Ali Ringering and sophomore forward Madeline Hartke each had 17 points to lead the Saints, who were held to 39.6 percent (19-48) shooting and 30.0 percent (6-20) from three-point range.
The Eagles return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. when they host the University of Missouri-St. Louis for Homecoming and their annual Play4Kay game-USI fans are encouraged to join the Eagles by wearing pink. The Tritons (9-13, 4-10 GLVC) suffered a 66-47 setback to Bellarmine University Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky.
