GLENVILLE, W.Va. – It took one final home run to end the Cardinals upset hopes. After Wheeling Jesuit cut the difference to four points twice midway through the final quarter, No. 8 Glenville State netted the next 10 points and held on for the 95-82 Mountain East Conference women's basketball win.
In a close contest all game, the Cardinals (11-14/9-10 MEC) cut a nine-point end of the third quarter deficit down to four points, 72-68, on a pair of Cassi Stein free throws with 6:51 left. The Pioneers (24-1/19-0 MEC) came alive to hold off the visitors' upset bid with the next 10 points and their 23rd win in a row.
"I am so very proud of our effort and fight. Mariah Callen played her heart out and probably one of the top games in her career," said WJU head coach Debbie Buff. "Glenville is nationally-ranked and we competed with them. We were making a run with seven minutes in the fourth and lost two starters that went down on the same play (in a collision). We still fought as a team, but Glenville is very talented."
???????Callen totaled her season-high and second-most points of her career with 27 points on 9 of 14 from the floor, including all three 3-pointers and 6 of 6 from the foul line, and seven rebounds.
Monica Burns drained 19 points with four boards and four assists. Chenelle Moore chipped in 19 points of her own on 8 of 11 shooting and pulled down five rebounds.
Lauren Lipscomb added six points and Stein five with both having five rebounds.
Paris McLeod paced the Glenville State effort with 27 points of her own on 10 of 15 shooting and made it a double-double with 11 caroms.
The Pioneers won the rebound battle, 52-34, and hit 16 treys as a team.
The Cardinals started hot as Stein reversed the game's first bucket and Callen followed with a triple as they built an 11-3 lead in the opening four minutes. Glenville State battled back to a 22-21 edge, before Burns hit for seven points in the final 1:01, including a 3-pointer from just inside half court at the buzzer for a 26-22 lead.
Burns downed an early second-quarter 3-pointer for a 29-26 lead. It turned out to be WJU's last as Glenville State snuck ahead, 43-38, on five-straight points after the game's fifth tie. Callen, though, made a 3-pointer and added two free throws to pull the Cardinals within a point, 43-42, at half.
The Pioneers opened the second half by scoring 10 of the first 13 points to open a 53-45 lead. The difference grew to 13 points, 69-56, but Lipscomb and Moore back-to-back layups cut it to 69-60 heading to the fourth quarter.
WJU returns home for its final appearance at the McDonough Center for a Saturday afternoon, Feb. 17, contest against West Virginia Wesleyan in a 2 p.m. start.
-GoCards-
