Last time out, the Cardinals took on the #22 team in the nation as they wrapped up the 2022 portion of their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule against Charleston. Early on, the Cardinals got into a hole as they trailed 16-8 after one quarter of play. However, as the game went on, Wheeling started to battle, going shot for shot with the Golden Eagles, but entered halftime trailing 33-25. Their best quarter of the game came in the third quarter as they battled back to make it a two-point game heading into the final 10 minutes. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Charleston started the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run that turned it into a 58-43 game. The Cardinals were never able to recover after that and ended up falling in the game 61-50 to drop to 4-2 in their first six conference games.
 

As she has done for each of the last two seasons, Lauren Calhoun stepped up when her team needed her most to lead the offense. The senior tied her season high with 26 points in the effort and just missed picking up a double-double with nine rebounds. Calhoun has picked up right where she left off during her junior season and has her points per game average up to 20.1 this season. She sits fifth in the conference in points per game (20.1) and eighth in total points (161). On the defensive side of the ball, Calhoun leads the conference with 11.5 rebounds per game while sitting third in offensive rebounds (33) and fourth in defensive rebounds (59).
 

After being held down in the last couple of games, Shamia Strayhorn stepped up behind Calhoun with eight points while finishing with two assists. In 2021-22, Strayhorn was used as a big scorer for the team, averaging 9.1 points per game, but this season she has been essential in the team's passing game. She sits second on the team with 18 assists and averages 2.25 assists per game. The girl in front of her is Kenzie Dalton, who sits with 37 assists on the season and is currently second in the MEC in that category. The Cardinals look to continue to involve as many girls as they can in the offensive scheme and picking up their assists will help them to do just that.
 

With the Cardinals getting set to head into the holiday break, they sit in good position in the MEC, sitting in a three-way tie for second. Glenville State and Charleston hold the top two spots with identical 5-1 records while Wheeling, West Virginia State Fairmont State, and West Liberty all sit one game back at 4-2. During the holiday break, the Cardinals will take on three non-conference opponents to help them get ready for the second half of their MEC schedule. With the #1 team in the nation, a hot Lake Erie team, Salem, and Malone all on the list, it will be a good test for the Cardinals before they open the second half against another ranked opponent in Glenville State.
 

The Matchups
 

Grand Valley State: The Cardinals and Lakers are meeting for the first time in program history on Sunday. Grand Valley State enters the game as the #1 team in the nation and sits at 9-0 overall and 3-0 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. They are averaging 85.3 points per game this season, while limiting opponents to just 54.0 ppg during that time. The Cardinals look to breakthrough and start the all-time series with a win.
 

Lake Erie College: The Cardinals and Storm are meeting for the sixth time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 3-2. The home team has had the advantage through those first five games, with Wheeling going 3-0 at home and Lake Erie going 2-0 when they play in Painesville, Ohio. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2014-15 season, when Wheeling picked up a 73-61 win. Former Cardinal Jaila Bryant led the offense in that game with 18 points while former Cardinals Breanna Butler and Emily Robinson each scored in double figures as well.
 

The Details
 

Tip-off for Sunday's non-conference game is scheduled for 2 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.