University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball Coach Rick Stein was named the Chuck Mallander Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season and third time in his 19-year career at the helm of the Screaming Eagles.
Stein has led the Eagles to a 24-3 overall record and a 16-2 mark in GLVC play in 2017-18. His Eagles have stifled opponents throughout the year with a defense that ranks first in the league in points per game (56.6) and opponent field goal percentage (.355).
After losing five seniors from a team that went 24-5 overall and 16-2 in the GLVC a year ago, Stein led his squad to its second consecutive GLVC East Division title in 2017-18. His squads currently rank No. 15 in the Division II Media Poll and No. 17 in the WBCA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.
In addition to Stein, four other Eagles were honored with All-GLVC accolades Tuesday. Senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) and senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) were named first-team All-GLVC; while senior guard Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois) and junior center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) were named third-team All-Conference.
Grooms, who was one of three players to be selected as a unanimous pick on the first team after earning second-team honors a year ago, averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 2017-18. Dahlstrom, a third-team honoree in 2016-17, was sixth in the GLVC with 16.8 points per game, while her 10.1 rebounds per contest were a GLVC-best.
Both Dahlstrom and Grooms averaged 18.2 points per game in GLVC play, a mark that ranked fourth in the league.
Harshbarger and Eschweiler are collecting their first-career All-GLVC nods. Harshbarger averaged 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per contest, while Eschweiler posted a career-high 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per appearance.
USI, the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament for the second straight year, travels to Edwardsville, Illinois, and the Vadalabene Center to take on the No. 7 seed, William Jewell College, in the quarterfinals Thursday at noon.
All of USI’s games this weekend can be heard on WSWI 95.7 FM and watched on the GLVC Sports Network. Links for live stats, audio and GLVCSN coverage can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
