Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (2-8, 2-4) kicks off the 2022 portion of their Mountain East Conference schedule on Wednesday when they host Glenville State at 5:30 PM. It is the Cardinals second straight game against a ranked opponent, as the Pioneers enter the game ranked #1 in the Atlantic Region and #10 in the country according to the D2SIDA weekly poll.
Last time they took the floor, Wheeling had to take on the #2 ranked team in the region, and #20 in the country in Gannon University. They fought hard and looked like they would be able to complete the comeback, but they fell 66-53. As a team, Wheeling shot 35.6% from the floor in the game and 27.8% from beyond the arc. After being held to just 15 points in the first half, Wheeling showed their tenacity, outscoring the Golden Knights 38-36 over the final 20 minutes of play as they showed they can go shot for shot with one of the best teams in the country.
Leading the way for the Cardinals on offense was none other than junior Lauren Calhoun, who continues her strong season on offense with 11 points and seven rebounds, leading the team in both categories. Calhoun enter play Wednesday third in the conference in points per game (17.2), and sits just .8 points behind Fairmont State's Alyssa DeAngelo and one point behind Glenville's Re'Shawna Stone for the conference lead. Calhoun has been the leader on the court, but Wheeling got a spark off the bench on their New Year's Eve game.
That spark came courtesy of freshman Annie Hunt and junior Maura Castelluci, who each put up eight points on the day. Castelluci hit two big three-pointers in the game and was shooting 33.3% from the floor in the effort. She kept finding herself open in the corner and drained a few big shots. As for Hunt, the eight points were a career-high for the freshman, who also got it done from beyond the arc. Hunt was 50% from three-point range and shot 60% from the field. The bench is going to play a significant role down the stretch, with many of these young players vying for playing time.
As we enter the 2022 portion of the schedule, there is still a lot to be decided in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Wheeling currently sits in ninth with a 2-4 record but has a chance to claw their way up the standings. They will be taking on teams ahead of them in the standings in five of their next six games, giving them a chance to gain some ground. Of those six games, three come against the top three teams in the conference, as Wheeling tries to bounce back in 2022.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers have matched up 30 times dating back to the 2003 season, and Wheeling has gone just 9-21 during that stretch. Wheeling will be looking for its first win against Glenville State since January 10th, 2017, when they beat them in Wheeling 79-66. The good news is that Wheeling has played better against Glenville at home than on the road, compiling a record of 5-7 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center.
Last year's game was one that Wheeling would like to put in the rearview mirror after falling to the Pioneers 123-74. Former Cardinal Lilly Ritz led the effort with 20 points, and Castelluci added 19, but the Pioneer offense proved to be too much for the Cardinals. Glenville scored 41 points in the second quarter, and Wheeling went on to allow their highest point total of the season.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 5:30 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
