Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (3-1, 1-1) has been on fire to start the 2022-23 season, getting off to their best start since they went 3-1 in their first four games of the COVID shortened 2020-21 season. On Wednesday, the Cardinals will look to keep their success going as they play host to Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponent Davis & Elkins with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM. After getting a few days off with the Thanksgiving break, the Cardinals are looking to end November on a high note as they prepare for the heart of MEC play.
Last time out, the Cardinals put together their best offensive game yet as they defeated Alderson Broaddus 91-66 for their first MEC win of the season. The Cardinals came out on fire on both sides of the ball, outscoring the Battlers 21-8 over the first 10 minutes of the game. Things evened up a bit in the second, as the Cardinals were outscored 17-13, but they still headed into halftime leading 34-21. They sealed the deal with their best offensive quarter of the season in the third as they scored 28 points and beat that total with 29 more points in the fourth to round out the attack. It was the team's first 90-point effort since they put up 95 against West Virginia State on December 8th, 2021, as they picked up their first conference win of the season.
Senior Lauren Calhoun continues to lead the way for the Cardinals and put together her best offensive game of the season. Although she did not reach her fourth double-double of the season, Calhoun scored a season-best 26 points in the effort while shooting 66% (10-15) from the floor. It was Calhoun's best shooting game of the season and kept her streak alive shooting over 50% in each of her first four games of the season. Calhoun continues her path to 1000 career points and enters Wednesday's game needing 235 points to reach the mark. She is averaging a season-best 21.5 points per game this year and is on pace to become the 29th player in program history to reach the mark.
Another young budding star for the Cardinals this season has been freshman Kenzie Dalton, who finished with eight points, six rebounds, and six assists against Alderson Broaddus. Dalton currently leads the MEC in assists per game with 5.5 while sitting second in the conference with 22 assists in four games played. It was the second time this season that Dalton has flirted with a triple double as she helps lead this Cardinal's offense. Wheeling enters play with two players averaging double digit points per game as Shanley Woods continues to be a sharpshooter from three-point range. She currently sits fourth in the conference shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc and is averaging 10.8 points per game entering play Wednesday.
The win last Tuesday was big for the cardinals as it helped them creep into the top half of the MEC standings. The conference is tight top to bottom with only Fairmont State, West Liberty, and Charleston remaining unbeaten after two games. Wheeling is currently in a six-way tie for fourth place in the conference with one of those teams being their Wednesday night opponent in Davis & Elkins. With MEC play now coming in full force, each night offers a new challenge to the Cardinals as they try to claim one of the top 10 spots and make a return trip to the 2023 MEC Women's Basketball Championship tournament.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 22nd time in program history on Wednesday, with the Cardinals leading the series at 15-6. A lot of their success has come on their home floor, where they are 9-4 against Davis & Elkins as compared to 5-2 in road contests. However, the Senators have come alive as of late, winning two of the last three meetings between the two teams. In their most recent meeting, Davis & Elkins picked up a win in Wheeling on January 29th, 2022, 62-53.
In that game, Lauren Calhoun set her career-high in points with 28 and added a team-best 17 rebounds on the defensive end. Shamia Strayhorn added 18 points on the day as the duo accounted for 46 of the team's 53 points in the game. Strayhorn and Taylor Cullen led the passing game as each finished with three assists on the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night'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.
