FROSTBURG, Md. (Jan. 13) – A career-high 24 points by sophomore guard Maura Castelluci (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) helped propel the Cardinals to an 83-77 win over Frostburg State Wednesday night.
 
The win improves the Wheeling University women's basketball team to 2-1 this season. The Bobcats now also stand at 2-1 overall.
 
Castelluci converted 8-of-16 attempts from the field, including a trio of three-point shots, and added six rebounds on the night. 
 
Wheeling junior forward Lilly Ritz (Cambridge, Ohio/Cambridge) continued her torrid start with her third double-double in as many games. Ritz posted 18 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks and three steals, despite early foul trouble.
 
Sophomore guard Emily Holzopfel (Rayland, Ohio/Buckeye Local) turned in her second-straight double-digit performance with 16 points and seven boards in the win.
 
The Cardinals opened up their biggest lead of the opening quarter following a Shanley Woods (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) jumper that made the score 14-8 four minutes into the game. Wheeling maintained the lead throughout the quarter and took an 18-15 edge into the first intermission.
 
The Cardinals enjoyed the lead throughout the second quarter, including by as many as 10 points. However, a pair of baskets in the final minute by Frostburg State narrowed the Wheeling advantage to 41-36 heading into halftime.
 
Wheeling once again ran its lead to double-digits, 50-40, with 6:54 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals had an answer for each Bobcat basket, including a rare three-pointer by Ritz in the final thirty seconds of the period to give Wheeling a 60-53 lead entering the fourth quarter.
 
The Cardinals led 71-62 following a Castelluci trey with 5:35 remaining in the game. Frostburg State finally made a run and scored 10-unanswered to take its first lead of the night at 72-71 with under four minutes to play.
 
The score was knotted up two more times, before a basket by Holzopfel with 57 seconds left in the game gave Wheeling a 77-75 lead. The Cardinals managed to knock down free throws and their defensive pressure limited Frostburg State to just two points in the final minute to clinch the win.
 
The Cardinals hit the glass and held a 52-to-39 edge in the rebounding department and finished with 16 second-chance points. Junior Alysa Edwards-Frick (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) chipped in seven rebounds of her own in 17 minutes off of the bench.
 
Four Bobcats finished in double-figures, including both Morgan Dombroski and Jada Holland, who had 14 apiece.
 
Wheeling returns home to the McDonough Center on Saturday, January 16 to host Fairmont State at 2 p.m.