LOUISVILLE, Ky.—University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) and senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) combined for 40 points and 24 rebounds as the No. 17 Screaming Eagles defeated Midwest Region foe Grand Valley State University in a defensive slugfest between a pair of nationally-ranked teams at the Bellarmine Thanksgiving Classic.
 
The Eagles (5-0) used a dominating fourth-quarter performance to complete a comeback that began in the late stages of the second quarter. USI, which trailed by as much as 13 points late in the second period and 11 points late in the third frame, outscored the No. 25 Lakers 39-17 throughout the final 21 minutes of the contest to secure its fifth straight regional victory.
 
Grooms finished with 27 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles, who scored the final five points of the first half to trim their 13-point deficit to 27-19 at the break.
 
Dahlstrom had her third double-double of the year with 13 points and 15 rebounds for USI, which trailed 34-23 with less than four minutes to play in the third quarter.
 
The Eagles return to action Sunday at noon when they take on Midwest Region opponent Northern Michigan University in their final game of the Bellarmine Thanksgiving Classic. The Wildcats (3-2) were playing host Bellarmine University Saturday afternoon.
 
1st Quarter
After falling behind 5-0 early in the contest, USI went on an 11-1 run to take a five-point lead. Grooms had seven points for the Eagles, who held the Lakers to just 21.4 percent (3-14) from the field in the first 10 minutes of the contest. USI held a 13-10 advantage on the glass in the opening period as it took an 11-8 lead into the second quarter.
 
2nd Quarter
Grand Valley State used a 21-3 outburst that began in the late stages of the first quarter to build a commanding 13-point lead. USI scored the final five points of the period, but a .214 shooting percentage (3-14) hampered the Eagles as they went into the break facing a 27-19 deficit.
 
3rd Quarter
After falling behind by 11 with just over four minutes to play in the period, the Eagles closed the third quarter with a 9-1 run to cut Grand Valley State's lead to 35-32 heading into the final 10 minutes. USI held the Lakers to just 3-of-15 (.200) shooting in the third quarter as it got back into the contest.
 
4th Quarter
USI held the Lakers to just one field goal and a .067 shooting percentage (1-15) in a fourth quarter that saw the Eagles earn a 21-9 scoring advantage. Grooms scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in the period as USI outscored the Lakers 9-2 throughout the first five minutes to take a 41-37 lead. The Eagles finalized the period with a 12-4 surge to put the win on ice.