Box Score
 
WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Jesuit women's hoops team missed an opportunity to climb the conference table on Saturday, dropping a tight game against the visiting Notre Dame College Falcons 57-52.
 
The Cardinals came into the game trailing NDC by just a game in the Mountain East standings, but the loss now puts them at 7-9 on the season, and 4-8 in MEC play.
 
WJU led the Falcons by as many as four halfway through the first period, but 20 point performance from NDC's Martha Nagbe and only 32% shooting from the field for the Cardinals gave the visitors the win.
 
"I think we just didn't show up ready to play. We were flat," said WJU head coach Debbie Buff. "I thought we were alright on defense, but we missed a ton of layups, a ton of shots right around the rim that we need to make in order to beat a team like Notre Dame.
 
Leading the Cardinals on the stats sheet was Jaila Bryant who put in 12 points and seven rebounds. This was the second game in a row Bryant has been the leading scorer for the Cards.
 
Sophomore forward Taylor Lubinsky (Irwin, Ohio) put in a solid performance under the glass with 11 points and 5 rebounds, but was only 4-10 on field goals, indicative of the troubles the Cardinals faced close to the bucket.
 
WJU's leading scorer Breanna Butler had another somewhat quiet game with 10 points. Butler has averaged nearly 15% on the season, but has been quiet as of late, save for two big threes in the opening moments of the game.
 
Forward Jaana Motton tried to follow up her season-high 16 points that she put in against West Liberty on Thursday, but foul trouble and a 1-4 performance from the field only allowed her to total six on the night.
 
The Cardinals will take a few days to recuperate from their second straight loss before they complete their six-game home stand against the Mountain East's 2^nd place team Urbana on Thursday and West Virginia State on Saturday.