Junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) scored 19 of her game-high 22 points in the second half as the University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team scored a 61-56 exhibition victory over NCAA Division I foe Butler University Sunday afternoon at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In a back-and-forth game that featured several runs by both teams, it was a decisive 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter that lifted the Screaming Eagles to the win.
USI, which posted its first exhibition win since defeating the University of Evansville, 76-72, at the Ford Center in 2014, trailed 54-50 with just over two minutes to play when it went on the 7-0 spurt.
Grooms, who scored 13 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter, began the run with a jumper; then hit a three-pointer a minute later to give USI a 55-54 lead with just over a minute to play.
Senior guard Tanner Marcum (New Albany, Indiana) got a steal on Butler’s next possession and hit 1-of-2 free throws to give USI a two-point lead with less than 40 seconds on the clock. Marcum hit 1-of-2 free throws, once again, to extend USI’s lead to three points with 12 seconds left in the game.
Butler’s attempt to tie the contest with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession was off the mark, but a put-back by sophomore guard Alexa Bailey with seven seconds to play ended USI’s 7-0 run and cut its lead to a single point.
Sophomore center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) hit two free throws on USI’s next possession; then Grooms drained two more free throws with less than a second left to give the Eagles the five-point win.
USI began the game by scoring nine of the first 11 points, but Butler answered with 18 straight to take a commanding 20-9 lead midway through the second quarter. The Eagles answered with runs of 8-0 and 5-0 to tie the contest at 26-26 heading into the intermission; then scored eight of the final 10 points to end the third quarter with a 39-38 advantage.
In addition to Grooms, Marcum had 17 points to go along with a game-high five assists and four steals, while junior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) chipped in eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Kristen Spolyar had 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Bulldogs, who were outrebounded 40-34.
USI opens the regular-season Friday at 6 p.m. when it hosts NAIA foe Roosevelt University at the Physical Activities Center. The Lakers (1-0) are under the direction of former USI point guard Keisha (Collins) Newell.
