FROSTBURG, Md. (Feb. 22) – The Wheeling University's women's basketball team rallied and held off Frostburg State 62-58 in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) road game Saturday afternoon.
The win improves the Cardinals to 11-16 overall, 9-11 against MEC competition. Meanwhile, the Bobcats fall to 3-18 in conference play and 4-23 overall.
Wheeling managed to erase an 11-point second half deficit and led 60-58 with 13 seconds on the clock. After a pair of missed free throws by the Cardinals, Frostburg State got off a potential go-ahead three pointer with four seconds on the clock, but the ball rimmed out. Wheeling knocked down the free throws on the other end to secure the four-point win.
Senior guard Khira Burton (Cincinnati, Ohio./Walnut Hills) led the Cardinals to victory by posting her season-high 27 points. Sophomore forward Lilly Ritz (Cambridge, Ohio./Cambridge) added another double-double with 19 points and 19 rebounds in the win.
Wheeling led throughout the first quarter. Frostburg State grabbed their first lead of the game at 11-10 with 38 seconds on the clock, but a Burton jumper on the next possession gave Wheeling a one point lead heading into the second frame.
Frostburg State knocked down a pair of shots on consecutive possessions to take the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter and led by as many as seven, 22-15, with 6:05 left in the first half and took a 30-23 lead into halftime.
The Bobcats maintained the lead and built their biggest lead of the game at 41-30 just past the halfway point of the third quarter. Freshman forward Lauren Calhoun (Ravenna, Ohio./ Ravenna) finished at the rim and kick-started nine-straight points to help Wheeling cut the Frostburg lead down to two points heading into the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals extended their run to 13-unanswered points and took a 44-41 lead with 7:05 left in the game and eventually enjoyed a 49-43 advantage with just under five minutes remaining in the contest. Frostburg State managed to draw back within one possession multiple times down the stretch, but Wheeling was able to respond and never relinquished the lead.
Wheeling took over on the glass and out-rebounded Frostburg State 46-to-35. Both teams shot around 37 percent from the field on the afternoon.
Frostburg State was led offensively by senior Victoria Diggs, who had 11 points.
Wheeling will hit the road to take on Urbana in a MEC game on Wednesday, February 26 at 5:30 p.m.
