Wheeling, W. Va. - It has been 10 days since the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (2-10, 2-6) last took the court after COVID-19 protocols were enacted within the team. Now that everyone is back and healthy, the Cardinals are ready to get back at it when they hit the road to take on Notre Dame College with tip-off at 5:30 pm. It will be the second meeting between the two teams this year, after they kicked off Mountain East Conference (MEC) play against each other earlier this season.
The last time Wheeling took the court was back on January 8th when they faced Concord University in a game, they fell 88-63. After scoring a combined 24 points in the first and second quarters, Wheeling would put together their best quarter of the season, equaling their first half total in the fourth quarter. However, the run was too little too late as the Cardinals dropped their sixth conference game of the season.
On the offensive side of the ball, Wheeling was led by the woman who has driven them all season, junior Lauren Calhoun. Calhoun put up 21 of her team's 66 points and shot an impressive 53% from the floor. Calhoun is having the best season of her career so far, averaging 17.3 points per game through her first 12 games of the season. She is tied for third in the MEC in points per game this season with Glenville State's Zakiyah Winfield and is 1.6 points per game behind the conference leader.
Calhoun had two of her teammates backing her up with double digit efforts, with junior Jacqui Hinesmon (11) and freshman Shamia Strayhorn (10) each reaching double digits. For Hinesmon, it was her fourth double digit performance of the season, and her first since she scored 15 points on December 8th against West Virginia State. Strayhorn continued her strong freshman season both scoring and spreading the ball around. While scoring 10 points, she finished second on the team in both assists (4) and rebounds (6).
As the calendar moves to the end of January, the race for the MEC playoffs is on with the top 10 teams making the tournament at Wesbanco arena March 2nd through March 6th. Wheeling currently sits in ninth place in the standings but is facing a stretch where they play eight games in 17 days after a pair of postponements. While it is a lot of basketball, it also offers Wheeling a chance to gain ground in the conference at a high rate. It won't be an easy trek, but if Wheeling can get momentum on their side, it could be a big moment for the women.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons will be facing each other for the 20th time since the matchup started back in 2013, and the second time this season. In the first 19 games, Wheeling has gone 5-14 against Notre Dame, including a 79-70 loss earlier this season. With the series shifting to Notre Dame this time around, Wheeling has a record of 1-7 in South Euclid, Ohio, and is hoping to turn their fortunes around in this one.
The last time these two teams played, Wheeling had the advantage 38-30 heading into halftime, but lost their firepower at the end of the game as Notre Dame scored 49 second-half points on their way to victory. It was the combination of Lauren Calhoun and Shanley Woods that led Wheeling in that game, with Calhoun scoring 22 points while Woods added 18. This time around, Wheeling will look to make more of their shots after shooting just 38.4% in the first match-up of the season.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 pm on the campus of Notre Dame College, and no spectators will be allowed in the stands. However, you can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
