Women's Basketball Preview: Cards Welcome Yellow Jackets

By: Michael McDonald, Assistant Sports Information Director

Women's Basketball | 1/25/2017 10:01:00 AM

WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Jesuit Cardinals look to redeem themselves Thursday night when they welcome West Virginia State into the McDonough Center. In the first of the two regular season meetings between the Cardinals and the Yellow Jackets, the fourth quarter would be the tell all period of the game. WJU controlled the games tempo for the first three periods, taking a two-point advantage into the fourth. West Virginia State would erupt in the final 10 minutes, knocking off the top-ranked squad within the Mountain East.

In the early January loss, Jaana Motton finished 11 of 18 from the field for a team-best 22 points while collecting 13 rebounds. Chenelle Moore added 12 points and seven rebounds and Chelsea Richardson chipped in 11 points and nine boards. West Virginia State was led by Sydney Bates, who tallied a game-high 25 points.

Since the forming of the MEC in 2013, WJU holds a 4-3 series advantage, and has never lost to the Yellow Jackets in the Alma Grace McDonough Center.

The Cardinals enter Thursday with a 2-1 record over the past week of action. Last Monday, WJU welcomed Virginia Wise into the McDonough Center in a battle of the top-two MEC clubs, a contest in which the Cardinals won, claiming sole possession of first place in the league. On Thursday, the Cardinals traveled to rival West Liberty and were outlasted by the Hilltoppers, 79-72. Saturday saw the Cardinals jump back on track, defeating the Urbana Blue Knights, 88-65. Motton supplied two more double-doubles and now leads the conference with eight on the season. Monica Burns averaged 20.3 points in WJU's week of action.

The Cardinal defense continues to impress, ranking second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 62.5 points per game. WJU occupies the second-best scoring margin, +10.5 points.

Burns paces WJU with 15.8 points per game and is seventh in the MEC in scoring. Mariah Callen is 16^th in scoring (13.2) and fifth in assists (4.61). Motton leads the league in rebounding (9.8) and is 19^th in scoring (12.8). Senior Kylie Frizell comes off a season-high 19 points against Urbana and averages 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds on the season. Chelsea Richardson adds six points and 4.6 rebounds to the mix. Lydia Hyburg has charted two double-figure scoring games in the last three Cardinal outings.

West Virginia State enters the meeting coming off a Saturday victory over Concord, 107-95. The Yellow Jackets are 2-3 over their last five games and have their next four contests on the road. Aurreshae Hines leads West Virginia State with 16 points per game. Shealyn Shafer leads the Yellow Jackets with a team best 8.6 rebounds and adds 12.4 points to the mix.

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