Wheeling, W. Va. - On Wednesday night, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (8-7, 6-3) picked up one of their biggest wins of the season when they took down Fairmont State to move to 6-3 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. They look to carry that momentum with them this weekend when they hit the road to face Frostburg State on Saturday with tip-off at 2 PM. With six teams vying for the top three spots in the conference, the Cardinals look to handle their business while keeping pace with the rest of the field.
It would take an overtime effort from the Cardinals, but they were able to pull out the win as they beat Fairmont State 92-81. The Cardinals offense was working throughout the night, and they built up a 39-31 lead by halftime. Wheeling put up a team high 24 points in the third quarter, but Fairmont State responded with 26 points over the final ten minutes and it would be deadlocked at 79-79 at the end of regulation. Wheeling's defense locked down during the five overtime minutes, allowing just two free throws during that time and allowing their offense to go to work. Wheeling would respond, scoring 13 of the 15 points in the quarter and when all was said and done came away with the 92-81 victory.
The Cardinals once again got a big boost from senior Lauren Calhoun, who secured her ninth double double of the 2022-23 season. She put up 24 points in the game, just two points shy of her season high, and finished with 15 rebounds on the evening. The senior continues her run to 1,000 career points and heads into Saturday's game just 38 points away from accomplishing the feat. Over her last four games, the senior has scored 19 or more points three times and has gone over the 20 point mark twice. Calhoun continues to be among the top scorers in the conference this season, and sits fifth with an average of 18.9 points per game. She looks to stay hot on the floor as she helps lead the Cardinals down this MEC stretch run.
Along with Calhoun's big effort on the floor, the Cardinals got a spark off the bench from fellow senior Taylor Cullen. Cullen scored a season-best 11 points on the night, with a lot of her success coming from three-point range. Cullen was 3-4 from downtown and hit some big shots when her team needed them. Another Cardinal who had a big all-around day was senior Jacqui Hinesmon who, before fouling out in the final second of regulation, was flirting with a triple-double. The senior finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and five assists as she was not only scoring, but finding her open teammates throughout the night. Hinesmon has been quietly having a strong season for the Cardinals, and over her last three games is averaging 9.3 points per game. Two of those were double digit scoring efforts as Hinesmon continued to help the Cardinals under the basket.
As the Cardinals reach mid January, they are right in the thick of this MEC playoff race. They are one of six teams vying for the top three spots in the conference as they try to secure a first round bye in the MEC Tournament coming up in March. Wheeling, West Liberty, and Fairmont State all sit at 6-3 in conference play and are one game behind Charlelston and West Virginia State, who both sit at 7-2. The lone team atop the conference is Glenville State, sitting at 8-1 and the Cardinals are just two games behind them for the top spot. The Cardinals still have at least one game remaining against each of those five teams, and two against West Liberty, things are shaping up to be interesting as the team's come down the stretch. Wheeling will be at home for three of their next four games and hope that the home court advantage helps them during this run.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the seventh time in program history on Saturday afternoon, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series at 5-1. The two teams split the season series last year, with the away team winning each of the two games. The Cardinals are a perfect 3-0 when the teams meet in Frostburg, Maryland and, for the series as a whole are averaging 68.3 points per game in their final meeting of the year last season, the Cardinals got the best of Frostburg State on the road with a 73-58 win.
In that game, Shanley Woods led the way with 21 points while having a big day from three-point range, going 6-11. Jacqui Hinesmon (13) and Lauren Calhoun (12) each also finished in double figures to complete the Cardinal's scoring. Shamia Strayhorn would lead the passing game for Wheeling, finishing with a team-best three assists in the game.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday afternoon's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bobcat Arena on the campus of Frostburg State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
