University of Southern Indiana junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) could not get her shot in the final five seconds to fall as the Screaming Eagles’ women’s basketball team suffered a 66-65 setback to Midwest Region foe Ohio Dominican University Friday night at the Physical Activities Center.
USI (10-2), which saw a nine-point halftime lead fall by the wayside, trailed by a point after Ohio Dominican senior guard Lauren Bates scored with just over 10 seconds to play in the contest to give the Panthers a one-point lead.
The Screaming Eagles got the ball into Grooms’ hands at the top of the key with just over five seconds to play. Grooms drove the lane and put up a shot, but it came up empty as Ohio Dominican corralled the rebound to preserve the win.
Grooms was fouled on a similar drive less than 30 seconds early as she drained a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a 65-64 lead in what turned out to be a back-and-forth fourth quarter.
After USI used a 12-0 run to take control of the first quarter, the Eagles held the lead throughout the second quarter and deep into the third period.
The Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the first half and 36-27 at the break; but a 7-0 Ohio Dominican run early in the third quarter closed USI’s lead to 38-34.
USI rebounded with six straight points to extend its lead to double-digits, but the Panthers used a 12-2 push throughout the final five minutes of the period to tie the contest at 46-46 heading into the fourth quarter.
In a fourth period that saw eight ties and nine lead changes, the Panthers grabbed a 62-60 lead with just over two minutes to play as Bates, who finished with a game-high 27 points, caught the Eagles off guard during a substitution. Bates got the inbounds on a fast restart and scored the layup, got fouled, and hit the ensuing free throw.
The Eagles answered with three free throws to retake a one-point lead with 1:39 to play; but Bates’ layup with 44 seconds to play put the Panthers up 64-63. Grooms’ free throws with 29 seconds put the lead back in USI’s court, but Bates’ bucket with 10.7 seconds left on the clock put the Panthers up for good.
Grooms led USI with 20 points, while senior forward Tasia Brewer (Terre Haute, Indiana) had 13 points. Junior forward Morgan Dahlstrom(Grayslake, Illinois) chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles, who shot just 37.5 percent from the field.
USI returns to action Thursday at 5:30 p.m. when hosts William Jewell College in a men’s and women’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader.
