WHEELING, W.Va. – Jaila Bryant scored 21 points and powered the Wheeling Jesuit women's basketball team past the University of Charleston, 75-64, Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Cardinals moved into a tie with rival West Liberty atop the Mountain East Conference standings. Both WJU and West Liberty now share the conference lead with matching 12-2 league marks.

Along with her 21 points, Bryant grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. The senior has now scored 20 or more points five times this season.

"I am extremely proud of our team for coming together and handling adversity," said WJU head coach Debbie Buff. "It was our 17th win and our first time beating Charleston since I have been here. Collectively, we were a closed fist and locked in defensively. Jaila, Mariah (Callen) and Jaana (Motton) played like veterans and Cassi (Stein) did a great job defending Charleston's Lockhart."

WJU (17-3) forced 22 Charleston (7-13, 5-9 MEC) turnovers, which led to 29 Cardinal points. WJU managed to only turn the ball over nine times.

"We were 17 of 19 from the foul line and our defense forced them into 22 turnovers. We also made some good decisions offensively down the stretch," added Buff.
 
The Cardinals jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first quarter off a Bryant jumper with 7:38 remaining. WJU stretched its lead to 11 after Damonique Patterson knocked in a jump-shot with a minute remaining in the quarter. The Cardinals took a 21-12 advantage into the second period.

The Golden Eagles shrunk the Cardinal lead to just one-point midway through the second quarter (5:04). WJU answered the Charleston run and finished the quarter on an 8-1 run off a pair of three pointers, one by each Mariah Callen and Kylie Frizell.
The game became tied at 39 with 6:52 remaining in the third.

Senior captain Taylor Lubinsky netted a pair of free throw attempts shortly after to regain the Cardinal lead. Fellow senior Jaila Byrant converted an old-fashioned three-point play a minute later to give WJU its 44-40 lead. Callen converted a three-point basket to cap off a 7-0 WJU run shortly after.

The Cardinals took a four-point lead into the fourth.

WJU grew its lead back to double figures three minutes into the fourth quarter off a Chenelle Moore layup assisted by Bryant. Cassi Stein made a layup at 5:55 to increase the Cardinal lead to 14. Charleston and WJU fought back and forth, before the Cardinals clung to their 75-64 victory.

Mariah Callen and Jaana Motton each supplied the Cardinal offense with 13 points. Callen did so on 3-4 shooting while collecting one board and hanging out four assists. Motton added a team high seven rebounds to her total.

Stein chipped in eight points on 3-5 shooting for WJU. Freshman Chenelle Moore and Damonique Patterson each added six points. Lubinsky added five points, while Frizell turned in three.

WJU returns to action on Thursday, February 4, when they travel to Shepherd University for a 5:30 p.m. tip.