Wheeling, W. Va. - Through their first six games of the 2022-23 season, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (5-1, 3-1) has been off to a hot start. They look to keep that momentum going as they head out on the road Wednesday to face their toughest challenge yet against the #5 ranked team in the Atlantic Region in West Virginia State at 5:30 PM. Wheeling looks to keep their 3-1 start to Mountain East Conference (MEC) play as they head into the final week of conference play before the holiday break.
Last time out, the Cardinals went on the road as they battled West Virginia Wesleyan and came out on top 61-50. The Cardinals have been playing some of their best basketball in the first quarter of games this season, but this time it was a slower start. The Cardinals found themselves behind 13-12 after one quarter of play and had to battle their way back into the contest. However, the Cardinals would flip the script in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 12-11 to head into the locker room tied at 24-24. Wheeling began to pull away with 15 third quarter points and led 39-34 heading into the fourth. That is when their offense went off, scoring 25 points and helping to secure their 61-50 victory as they moved to 3-1 in conference play.
Over the last weeks' worth of games, junior Shanley Woods has been red hot from three-point range as she helps to fuel the Cardinal's offense. She is shooting 43.5% from three-point range in her last two games and nearly tied the single-game three-point record when she went 6-13 against Davis & Elkins back on November 30th. Over her last two games, the junior has scored a combined 38 points, with 30 of those points coming from three-point shots. When Wood's outside shot is working, she adds another dimension to the Cardinal's offense and makes it that much stronger.
Along with Woods, the Cardinals also saw a big effort from senior Lauren Calhoun, who continues to score in double figures, but just missed a double-double last time out. She finished with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds against West Virginia Wesleyan, as she approaches the 1,000-career point milestone. As a team, the Cardinals shot 42.3% from the floor, which included a 34.8% mark from beyond the arc. Wheeling looks to keep up their efficiency as they head into two of their toughest conference matchups of the season this week.
With their win on Saturday, the Cardinals improved to 3-1 in MEC play and moved into a tie for second in the conference. They sit one game behind first-place West Liberty, and tied with West Virginia State, Charleston, Glenville State and Fairmont State. With two of those four teams on the Cardinal's schedule this upcoming week, it is a chance for the team to solidify themselves as one of the top teams in the conference before the Christmas break. Both matchups feature their own unique challenges, and the Cardinals look to stay the course and find a way to pick up another big win on Wednesday.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 31st time in program history on Wednesday, with the all-time series sitting tied at 15 wins a piece. The home team has the lead in each venue, with Wheeling holding a 6-9 record when they meet in Institute, West Virginia. Last season, the Yellow Jackets would sweep the season series between the two teams, however, the Cardinals have won four of the last six meetings between the two teams. In their last meeting, West Virginia State would claim a 114-75 victory in Insititute, West Virginia.
Leading the way for the Cardinals in that game was Lauren Calhoun, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds to finish with a double-double. She was one of three double figure scorers for the Cardinals with Shanley Woods and former Cardinal Ally Ziegler each finishing with 10 points. The Cardinals got out to a fast start, with 25 points in the first quarter, but were unable to keep up with the high-powered Yellow Jackets offense.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 PM inside the Walker Convocation Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
