University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball begins the 2017-18 season Friday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Northwood University at the Physical Activities Center as part of the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge.
The Screaming Eagles, who are coming off an 87-56 loss to the University of Kentucky in their only exhibition game of the preseason, also host Saginaw Valley State University Sunday at 1 p.m.
Both games will be aired on the GLVC Sports Network as well as WSWI 95.7 FM. Live stats, audio and GLVCSN coverage can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
USI Women’s Basketball Notes (11/8/17)
• Last time out. USI Women’s Basketball fell to NCAA Division I foe Kentucky, 87-56, Sunday night in an exhibition. The Eagles held a 7-2 lead early in the contest and led 14-11 midway through the opening period, but a 19-3 second-quarter run helped the Wildcats surge past the Eagles.
• Leaders. Senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms led all scorers in the exhibition loss to Kentucky as she finished with 20 points, while junior forward Kacy Eschweiler poured in 15 points and a game-high tying six rebounds.
• What went well? What went wrong? USI’s pressure defense caused some fits for Kentucky as the Wildcats were forced into 22 turnovers on the night, but 27 USI turnovers led to 30 points for Kentucky.
• Up next. The Eagles begin the 2017-18 regular season Friday when they host Midwest Region opponent Northwood as part of the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge. USI also hosts Saginaw Valley State Sunday at 1 p.m.
• A look at Northwood. Despite the loss of first-team All-GLIAC forward Jordyn Nurenburg to graduation, the Timberwolves begin the season with their second and third-leading scorers back from last year’s squad in senior guards Maddy Seeley and Lindsay Orwalt. Seeley averaged 12.7 points per game as a junior, while Orwalt contributed 11.7 points per contest on a team that finished the year with a 16-11 overall record and a 13-8 mark in GLVC play.
• A look at Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals, who begin the year at Bellarmine Friday night, are coming off an NCAA II Tournament run that saw them post a 23-8 overall record, 17-4 GLIAC, and reach the semifinals of the Midwest Region Tournament a year ago. Junior forward Abby Duffy is the team’s top returning scorer from last year; but the loss of SVSU’s top three scorers, including All-Region honoree Emily Wendling, figures to play a factor into the Cardinals early in the 2017-18 campaign.
• USI vs. GLIAC in 2016-17. The Eagles posted a 1-2 mark against GLIAC competition in 2016-17. USI began the year with a 67-55 road win over Wayne State before suffering a 79-61 home loss to Michigan Tech and a 66-65 home loss to Ohio Dominican—ODU was in the GLIAC last year and is now in the GMAC. The Eagles, who were 2-1 against the GLIAC in 2015-16 and 1-2 against the GLIAC in 2014-15, play five of their first six games against the GLIAC this year.
• Region-heavy slate. USI’s first eight games this year are against Midwest Region competition, including a pair of GLVC East Division contests.
• Coaches predict USI to win GLVC East. GLVC coaches have predicted that USI Women’s Basketball will repeat as champions of the GLVC East Division in 2017-18. The Eagles went 16-2 in GLVC play a year ago, winning the then eight-team GLVC East Division by three games. USI received five first-place votes and 54 points in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll to edge out Lewis, which received five first-place votes and 51 points.
• USI in the Top 25. The Eagles are receiving votes in the preseason Division II Media Poll and are ranked No. 20 in the preseason Herosports.com Division II rankings. USI did not receive any votes in the preseason USA Today Sports/NCAA Division II Coaches’ Poll.
• Returning leaders. Senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom, senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms and senior guard Randa Harshbarger return to lead the Eagles in 2017-18. Grooms earned second-team All-GLVC honors a year ago after averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game, while Dahlstrom added 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest to earn third-team honors as a junior. Harshbarger averaged 3.7 assists per contest and ranked among the GLVC’s best in assist-to-turnover ratio in 2016-17
• Record book watch. Three players are in USI’s record books to begin the 2017-18 season:
–Kaydie Grooms is 16th in scoring (1,014), is 18th in blocks (46), and 28th in rebounds (387).
–Randa Harshbarger is eighth in assists (259);
–Morgan Dahlstrom is 19th in rebounds (443), tied for 19th in blocks (43) and 40th in scoring (559).
