WHEELING, W.Va. (March 5) – Sophomore forward
Lilly Ritz (Cambridge, Ohio/Cambridge) reset her own single-game Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament rebound record, but it was not enough in a 75-61 loss to No. 2 seed Notre Dame (Ohio) Thursday afternoon.
The loss closes the Wheeling University women's basketball season at 11-19 overall. Meanwhile, the Falcons improve to 25-4 overall and advance to the MEC Tournament Semifinals to take on No. 3 seed Charleston.
A day after establishing the MEC Tournament record with 20 rebounds, Ritz hauled in 24 and added 11 points in a losing effort to reset her own record. Senior guard
Khira Burton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) closed out her Cardinal career with 20 points and six assists, while classmate
Taliah Cashwell (South Charleston, W.Va./South Charleston) posted 16 points in her swan song.
Notre Dame sprung out to a 16-4 advantage six minute into the contest. Wheeling quickly erased the deficit with 12-unanswered points to tie the game up with 56 seconds left in the first quarter, before a pair of baskets gave the Falcons a 20-16 lead at the first break.
The Cardinals managed to claw back and tie the game once again at 29 with 3:27 on the clock until halftime. Notre Dame never relinquished the lead and reestablished a 42-33 lead entering halftime.
Notre Dame was unable to shake the Cardinals in the third quarter. A layup by freshman
Jacqui Hinesmon (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) brought Wheeling within four, 54-50, with 1:54 remaining in the period.
A basket by freshman
Lauren Calhoun (Ravenna, Ohio/Ravenna) had Wheeling within five, 57-52, on the first possession of the fourth quarter. Notre Dame controlled the final period and never led the Cardinals get any closer that that.
Wheeling shot 24-of-60 (40 percent) from the field, compared to the Falcons who were 29-of-67 (43 percent).
The Falcon full-court pressure defense caused the Cardinals to commit 24 turnovers in the loss.
Notre Dame was led by a game-high 28 points from Jada Marone. Seina Adachi added 23 in the win.
Wheeling, who was making its first MEC Tournament appearance since 2018, was picked to finish last in the MEC Preseason Coaches Poll.
