Box Score WHEELING, W.Va.---The Wheeling Jesuit women's basketball team led from the opening tap as the Cardinals defeated the WVIAC's No.4 ranked Senators of Davis & Elkins College, 54-47, at the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Jesuit used a stellar first half defensive performance to build an eight point halftime lead and never looked back.
 
“It was an outstanding team win and our best defensive performance of the season,” said Head Coach Debbie Buff. “We put ourselves in a great position to win the game by holding D&E to just 47 points, a team who averages 65 points a game.”
 
Emily Robinson, Breanna Butler and Kelsey Pacholke led the Cardinal offense with 10 points apiece. Robinson added four rebounds, three assists and a steal, and Butler chipped in four assists, two steals and one rebound while Pacholke pulled down five rebounds and had three steals. Jamie Sobczak followed with eight points, and Taylor Lubinsky scored six points.  Lubinsky grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and Alex Anderson secured five boards.
 
“Davis & Elkins is a great rebounding team, and we matched them for 40 minutes,” Buff stated.  “In addition, our defensive intensity caused 19 turnovers which lead to some great transition buckets which created energy early in the game.”
 
The Cardinals (7-14, 4-13 WVIAC) opened the game with a 7-0 run and held an advantage the entire half.  Lubinsky started the scoring at the 18:17 mark with a strong post move, and after a Senator turnover, Robinson followed with a 3-pointer. Robinson secured a defensive rebound, and Pacholke kept the initial run intact with an offensive rebound and put-back to give WJU a 7-0 advantage.
 
The Senators (11-11, 10-8 WVIAC) retaliated with a 7-1 outburst, however, Lubinsky drained a pair of free throws for a 9-7 Jesuit lead. The two teams traded buckets for three minutes when back-to-back strikes from WJU gave the Cardinals a 19-13 advantage. At 8:49, Butler found the bottom of the net, and Jaila Bryant stripped the ball away from the Senator and continued to the opposite side of the floor with a lay-in. Jesuit extended the lead to eight points when Taneka Lewis connected with a break-a-way layup after an Anderson steal. The Cardinals and the Senators played the rest of the half even as WJU held a 30-22 halftime advantage. In the first half, the Cardinals forced 13 turnovers and recorded 10 steals.
 
After the break, Wheeling Jesuit immediately pushed the lead to 12 points with consecutive scores by Sobczak and Lubinsky. D&E battled back with three field goals before WJU's Robinson stopped the run with a long distance 3-pointer, 43-34. The Cardinals continued to capitalize on turnovers and miscues by the Senators, maintaining a 5-7 point advantage. At 5:38, D&E used back-to-back possessions to cut the Cardinal lead to three points, 47-44.
 
The next trip down the floor, Robinson connected from deep and followed with a steal and lay-in for an 8-point Cardinal advantage, 52-44, with 3:43 left to play. Robinson added a pair of free throws for the 54-47 league victory.
 
The Wheeling Jesuit defense caused 19 turnovers with 15 steals, and Jesuit limited the Senators to just four trips to the charity stripe. The Cardinals did not allow any of the visitors to reach double figures in scoring, as Jorden Lykes and Ashley Magallanez led the Senators with nine points apiece. Maquasia Ferebee and Amy Turner added eight points each.
 
“We hope to bring the same kind of defensive energy to Monday's game against Seton Hill,” said Coach Buff.
 
Wheeling Jesuit will be back in action on Monday, February 11 against Seton Hill University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.