Senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) scored 34 points and pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds to lift No. 9/15 University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball to a 64-51 Great Lakes Valley Conference road win over host University of Illinois Springfield Thursday evening.
Dahlstrom went 15-of-19 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe to lead a Screaming Eagles squad that had an uncharacteristic shooting night.
The Eagles (20-2, 12-1 GLVC), winners of a league-best nine straight games, shot just 39.4 percent (26-66) from the field and just 6.3 percent (1-16) from the arc.
Early in the contest, the Eagles shooting woes, which included an 11-of-37 (.297) effort from the field and an 0-of-11 performance from three-point range, allowed the Prairie Stars to keep the game close.
USI, however, ended the second quarter with five straight points to take a 25-21 lead into the intermission. The Eagles scored five straight out of the break to build a nine-point lead.
Senior guard Shelbi Patterson, who led Illinois Springfield with 24 points, allowed the Prairie Stars to stay within striking range; but an 8-0 run late in the third period pushed the Eagles’ to double-digits (42-30) for the first time in the contest.
The Prairie Stars (10-11, 4-9 GLVC) pulled to within six with three minutes to play, but back-to-back baskets by Dahlstrom spurred a 7-0 game-ending run for the Eagles.
Aided by senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois), the Eagles had a better offensive performance in the second half as they went a 15-of-29 (.517) from the field, including 8-of-12 (.667) in the fourth quarter.
Grooms finished the game with 16 points, including 14 in the second half. Junior forward Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) finished with four points and a season-high 11 rebounds, while senior guard Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois) and sophomore guard/forward Morgan Sherwood (Charleston, Illinois) each chipped five points.
USI dominated the lane, holding a 45-30 rebounding advantage while outscoring the Prairie Stars 40-16 in the paint. The Eagles held the Prairie Stars to just 30.2 percent (16-53) from the field, including 26.1 percent (6-23) in the opening period.
The Eagles return to action Saturday at 5:30 p.m. when they host Bellarmine University for Senior Night at the Physical Activities Center. USI will honor its senior class of Dahlstrom, Grooms, Harshbarger and manager Sydney Session following Saturday’s contest.
Bellarmine (14-9, 9-5 GLVC) defeated McKendree University, 83-72, Thursday evening in Lebanon, Illinois.
