EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball used first-half runs of 17-0 and 9-0 to cruise to a 90-71 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over visiting Missouri University of Science & Technology Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center.
 
The No. 15/21 Screaming Eagles (14-2, 6-1 GLVC) trailed by as much as four points early in the contest and by one when they erupted for 17 consecutive points to take a commanding 27-11 lead with two minutes to play in the first quarter. They scored nine straight in the second quarter and led by as many as 24 points before taking a comfortable 50-29 lead into the intermission.
 
Ten different players contributed in the scoring column for the Eagles, who were led senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois). Dahlstrom finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, including the first six points in USI's 17-0 run.
 
Senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) finished with 16 points, while junior guard Alex Davidson (Salem, Indiana) chipped in 15 points, five rebounds and six steals. Junior forward Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) added nine points and a career-high five assists, while junior forward/center Mikayla Rowan (Brazil, Indiana) added eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.
 
Senior guard Janie Arand led the Miners with 23 points, while sophomore forward Maddie Raley, a Haubstadt, Indiana, native, added 18 points and seven rebounds.
 
USI returns to action Saturday at 1 p.m. when it hosts Truman State University for the sixth annual Hoops for Troops Military Appreciation Day at the PAC. The Bulldogs (10-5, 5-3 GLVC) lost to the University of Indianapolis, 79-63, Thursday evening in Indianapolis.
 
Notes
The 90 points USI scored Thursday was a season-high, topping its previous best, which came in an 86-60, home win over Saginaw Valley State University…USI's .542 shooting percentage also matched a season-high…the 71 points USI surrendered were the most in an Eagles' win this year and tied for the second most this season…Thursday's victory was Head Coach Rick Stein's 200th win at the PAC.
 
1st Quarter (USI 31-15)
The Eagles used a 17-0 run to turn a one-point deficit into a commanding 27-11 lead with two minutes to play in the opening period. Dahlstrom had 12 points in the first 10 minutes to lead the Eagles, who shot 65.0 percent (13-20) from the field.
 
2nd Quarter (USI 19-14)
USI used a 9-0 run to extend its advantage to as much as 24 points before settling on a 50-29 lead at the break. Freshman guard Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana) had six points in the second period to lead the Eagles, who had seven different players contribute in the scoring column.
 
3rd Quarter (S&T 24-20)
USI pushed its lead to as much as 25 points three minutes into the second half, but a 13-4 Missouri S&T surge cut the Eagles' advantage to as little as 16. Dahlstrom had six points in the third quarter to lead the Eagles, who led 70-53 heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
4th Quarter (USI 20-18)
The Eagles used a 12-3 run to build their largest lead of the contest at 86-60 with less than five minutes to play. Davidson had five points and three steals to pace USI in the final quarter.