Wheeling, W.Va- After falling in the first two matchups of the year, Wheeling University women's basketball (0-2) looks to capture their first win of the season. The Cardinals will go on the road to take on Malone University (2-0), Wednesday at 5:30 PM in Canton, Ohio.
Wheeling tipped off the season competing in the West Chester tournament. Their first game was against West Chester University of Pennsylvania. A slow first half plagued the Cardinals. With only scoring 15 points, Wheeling put themselves in a hole. At the half, the score was 32-15, Golden Rams.
In the second half, the Cardinals' offense woke up. Outscoring West Chester 27-20 in the third quarter, the Cardinals made the game competitive once again. The third quarter provided the Cardinals with its highest shooting quarter. Going 9-15 on field-goal attempts and 2-5 from three, momentum was starting to shift. Unfortunately, the second-half effort was not enough, the final score was 73-61.
Shanley Woods led the Cardinals in points, while
Jacqui Hinesmon and
Taylor Cullen tied for the most assist with three.
In their next matchup of the tournament, Wheeling squared off against Bloomsburg University. The Cardinals shot 39% from the field and 30% from three. With the final score being 74-60, two factors contributed to the loss. From the free-throw line, Wheeling only shot 2-7. By being more efficient from the line, the Cardinals instantly make the game more competitive. Lastly, turnovers played a vital role in the loss. Suffering 18 total, it made it difficult to find a flow.
Shamia Strayhorn and
Lauren Calhoun both led the team with sixteen points.
There are a lot of positives to take away from this Cardinals team so far. In just two games this season, the Cardinals have had four players reach double digits in points. This shows that there is an emphasis to get several players involved. The Cardinals look to dominate in their next competition against Malone University. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference affiliate has started their season 2-0, with victories against the University of Indianapolis and Lindenwood University.
The Match-Up
Since 2003, Wheeling University has played Malone University four times. Splitting 2-2, the Cardinals look to take the series lead Wednesday evening. In their first match-up in November of 2003, the Cardinals won 86-68.
The last time Wheeling met Malone University was in 2020. They fell by nine, losing 70-61. Then junior,
Lilly Ritz led the Cardinals with 20 points. The Cardinal's hope one or multiple players give over twenty points in the 2021 match-up.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday evening's game is scheduled for 5:30 PM at Malone University. You can watch the game by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
