PEPPER PIKE, Ohio (Dec. 19) – The Wheeling University women's basketball team was handed a 78-67 loss on the road at Ursuline in a non-conference game Thursday evening.
 
The loss sends the Cardinals to 3-8 overall, while the Arrows improve to 4-8 this season.
 
Sophomore forward Lilly Ritz (Cambridge, Ohio/Cambridge) filled up the stat sheet. She posted a season-high 28 points with 14 rebounds to register her seventh double-double of the season. Ritz also added a game-high five steals and three blocked shots to her final line.
 
Ursuline led by as many as 14 in the first quarter, before taking a 27-17 lead into the second period.
 
After the Arrows rebuilt their lead to 34-21 at the 7:30-mark of the second quarter, the Cardinals went on to out-score Ursuline 20-4 over the ensuing seven minutes to take a 41-38 lead with 36 seconds left in the first half. A last-second trey by the Arrows sent the game into the locker rooms tied at 41-41.
 
The Cardinals shot 10-of-14 (71 percent) in the second quarter and out-scored Ursuline 24-14 in the period.
 
Wheeling came out of the locker rooms cold. Ursuline scored 13-unanswered to start the second half and took a 54-41 lead halfway through the third quarter. The Cardinals were able to narrow the deficit to five with a 10-2 spurt, but a basket in the final minute by the Arrows gave the hosts a 58-51 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Ursuline built its largest-lead of the night at 16 with nine-unanswered to take a 67-51 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Wheeling chipped away at the deficit and a three pointer by freshman guard Emily Holzopfel (Rayland, Ohio/Buckeye Local) narrowed the gap all the way down to 71-67 with 1:19 to play in the game.
 
Unfortunately, Ursuline knocked down 7-of-8 at the free-throw line in final minute and kept Wheeling off of the board to collect the 78-67 win.
 
The Cardinals shot 28-of-69 (41 percent) for the night, but were just 3-of-18 (17 percent) in the third quarter. Ursuline shot 27-of-62 (44 percent) for the night.
 
Ursuline also held a 43-to-32 edge on the glass and were 18-of-22 from the charity stripe. Wheeling only visited the free-throw line 10 times and converted seven of those shots.
 
Three Arrows scored in double-figures, including Tamara Mathis who posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
 
The Cardinals have an extended break for the holiday and will return to action on Wednesday, January 8 when they travel to the Waco Center to take on MEC preseason-favorite Glenville State at 5:30 p.m.