CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Wheeling Jesuit women's basketball team started its 2015-16 campaign off with an impressive road victory, 78-48, over St. Augustine University. The contest was held in Charlotte, North Carolina on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University.

The Cardinals displayed a remarkable defensive effort on the day as they forced 37 Falcon turnovers and recorded 18 steals. WJU held a one point lead, 28-27, after two quarters of action. The Cardinals went on a second half surge, winning the half by a score of 50-21. WJU scored 26 points in the third period before adding 24 more in the final period, leading to its 30 point victory.

"It was a great collective effort," head coach Debbie Buff stated. "It's an outstanding first win on the road. We had four players in double digit scoring. I believe our level of conditioning showed in the second half as we forced 31 turnovers on the day."

WJU trailed St. Augustine by three after the first 10 minutes of action. The Cardinals erased the deficit and took a one point lead into the break. Sophomore Mariah Callen led the Cardinal offense with 11 points at the half while senior Jaila Bryant contributed five points.

WJU came out of the break firing on all cylinders. The Cardinal lead grew to double digits when Callen netted a three pointer with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter. Bryant finished off a layup with 2:43 remaining to stretch the Cardinal lead to 15.

The Cardinals continued their second half surge as the lead grew to 20 less than four minutes into the fourth period of play when Cassi Stein scored on a breakaway layup.

WJU executed a 13-0 run midway through the fourth quarter. The lead was stretched to 29 when Kylie Frizell knocked in one of her three three-point baskets of the afternoon. The largest lead of the game came when freshman Kaden Whaley made a free-throw attempt with just over two minutes remaining.

WJU saw 12 of its players score on the afternoon. Callen led the Cardinal attack with 16 points, while also tallying two steals and two assists. Bryant finished with a well-rounded attack of 14 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and eight steals.

Frizell and Stein each finished with 11 points. Stein added four assists to her stat line. Freshman Chenelle Moore totaled eight points in her first collegiate competition. WJU post players Jaana Motton, Lydia Hyburg, and Kiarra Kamarec finished with four points each. Motton tallied three rebounds while Kamarec added a rebound of her own.