WHEELING, W.Va. (Jan. 19) - The Wheeling Jesuit University women's basketball team was dealt an 81-61 loss by the University of Virginia-Wise Saturday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) contest at the McDonough Center.
The Cardinals drop to 3-13 overall, 1-9 in the MEC. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers improve to 5-5 in league play, 7-9 overall this season.
Senior forward
Chenelle Moore (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) posted game-highs of 22 points (9 of 15) and 13 rebounds for her 10th double-double this season to lead Wheeling Jesuit. She also had a game-best four steals in the loss.
The Cardinals looked sharp in the opening stages of the game. WJU scored six-unanswered to start the game and carried a 9-5 lead into the first media timeout. UVA-Wise controlled the final five minutes of the first quarter with a 13-5 run to take an 18-14 lead into the second stanza.
The Cavaliers extended their lead to six, 20-14, on the opening possession of the second quarter, but the Cardinals used a 7-1 spurt to tie the game at 21-21 with 5:34 left until halftime. UVA-Wise once again finished strong and re-built its lead to nine, 35-26, entering the intermission. The Cavaliers shot 5-of-7 from the field during that stretch and held WJU to 2-of-8 on the other end.
UVA-Wise opened up the second half with a 10-2 run to establish a 45-28 lead with 6:28 to play in the third quarter. The Cardinals traded baskets with the Cavaliers down the stretch of the period and trailed 56-38 heading into the fourth quarter. Sophomore
Kelsi Chapman (New Martinsville, W.Va./Magnolia) knocked down a trey to start the quarter, but UVA-Wise's lead was too much to overcome for WJU. The Cavaliers maintained their double-digit lead and never relented its offensive pressure until the final horn sounded.
The Cardinals managed to force 19 turnovers, but were out-rebounded 50 to 33 in the contest.
UVA-Wise was led by a 16-point performance by Kalee Johnson.
The Cardinals will hit the road on Wednesday, January 23 when they travel to Ohio to take on Notre Dame for a MEC matchup. The opening tip is set for 5:30 p.m.
