Wheeling, W. Va. - Through the first five Mountain East Conference (MEC) games of the season, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (2-6, 2-3) has seen its fair share of ups and downs. After winning back-to-back MEC games against Davis & Elkins and West Virginia Wesleyan, the Cardinals fell last time out to West Virginia State, who was tied for 7th in the region, in an overtime game 99-95. The Cardinals look to get back to .500 in conference play when they wrap up the 2021 portion of their conference schedule on Monday against The University of Charleston.
The Cardinals got a fast start last time they hit the court when sophomore Shanley Woods hit three consecutive three-pointers that got the team out to an 11-2 lead over the first three and a half minutes of play. It was a lead the Cardinals would hold for each of the first two quarters and didn't lose until midway through the third quarter. The Cardinals found themselves down 86-79 with two minutes to play but rallied back with a 7-0 run that tied the game at 86 and sent it to overtime. Despite scoring nine points over the five-minute overtime period, it wasn't enough as West Virginia State pulled away with a 99-95 win.
Woods was a key contributor on offense throughout the night and put up a season-high 25 points to lead the team. She was hot from beyond the arc, hitting five three-pointers in the game, and shot just over 62% from three-point range. She was one of two Cardinals to finish with 20+ points as junior Lauren Calhoun kept her hot streak going, putting up 23 points in the game. Jacqui Hinesmon (15), Shamia Strayhorn (11) and Maura Castelluci (10) each finished in double digits on the day, winding down what was a strong day from the Cardinals' shooters.
While having so much offensive success, the Cardinals also had a pair of players finish with double-doubles on the day. The first was Calhoun, who led the defensive side of the ball with 13 rebounds and recorded a double-double for the second straight game. She is the reigning MEC Women's Basketball Player of the Week and continued to show why she won that title. Strayhorn also picked up a double-double, but it was thanks to her work passing the ball. Strayhorn led the team with a season-high 12 assists as she distributed the ball throughout the night.
Despite the loss, Wheeling showed that they could compete against one of the top teams in the Atlantic Region. West Virginia State was tied for seventh in the D2SIDA Atlantic Regional Rankings, and Wheeling had a lead over them for most of the game. They now sit in a seventh-place tie in the MEC with Alderson Broaddus and their Monday night opponent The University of Charleston. They sit three games back of conference leading Fairmont State and hope to battle back with Monday's game.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles have matched up 32 times dating back to the 2002 season and Wheeling sits with a record of 8-24 in those games. When the game is played in Charleston, things don't look much better for the Cardinals with a record of 2-12 in Charleston, West Virginia. Wheeling is looking to flip the script this time out and break what has been a five-game losing streak for the team. The last time the two teams matched up was in the semifinals of last season's MEC Tournament when they fell 71-55.
Jacqui Hinesmon was the leader in that game with 14 points for the Cardinals while former Cardinal Lilly Ritz grabbed a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the game. The Cardinals are looking for some revenge this time around as they look to get back into the win column and even up their MEC record before the new year.
The Details
Tip-off for Monday night's game is scheduled for 6 PM on the campus of The University of Charleston. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
