Wheeling, W. Va. - Since their game on December 10th against The University of Charleston, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (6-6, 4-2) has been going through a tough non-conference schedule, which included the #1 team in the country, in preparation for the second half of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. On Wednesday, the Cardinals are beginning the sprint to the 2023 MEC playoffs when they take on #8 Glenville State with tip-off at 5:30 pm. With Wheeling being just one game behind the Pioneers for a share of the top spot in the conference, it is a high-leverage game for the Cardinals as their resolve is put to the test.
Last time out, the Cardinals had a back-and-forth battle with non-conference opponent Malone but fell in the end 63-58. The game saw both defenses go to work throughout the night, and, after three quarters of play, the Cardinals held a 43-40 advantage. Wheeling got off to a strong start in the quarter, moving their lead to 50-43, but the Pioneers still had some energy left in the tank as they battled to overtake the Cardinals. Jacqui Hinesmon tied the game with a three-point play that made it 54-54, but the Pioneers would end the game on a 9-4 run to beat the Cardinals 63-58. The loss evened the Cardinal's season record at 6-6 as they look to stay above .500 entering this big conference matchup.
Leading the way once again for the Cardinals was senior Lauren Calhoun, who scored 18+ points for the seventh time this season. She ended up leading the offense with 19 points and fell just one rebound short of a double-double with nine rebounds. The effort brought her season average to 18.5 points per game and continued her journey to 1,000 career points. She now sits 99 points away from reaching the milestone and becoming the 29th player in program history to accomplish the feat. Calhoun burst onto the scene last season, scoring 543 points, and is on pace to continue that success and climb the all-time scoring list during her senior season.
Another player who got their 2023 season started with a bang was sophomore Shamia Strayhorn, who was the other Cardinal to score in double figures with 10 points. After being held to just two points in the first half, Strayhorn turned it on with eight second half points as she helped her team battle against the Pioneers. Strayhorn brought her season average to 6.0 points per game in the effort and went into double figures for the third time this season. The Cardinals showed the ability to share the ball throughout the night, with four different Cardinals finishing with two or more assists. Graci Fairman led the group with three assists, while adding seven points and two rebounds to round out the day.
As they head back into conference play, the Cardinals find themselves right in the thick of what is a crowded MEC Tournament race. As it stands entering Wednesday night, six of the 12 MEC teams sit just one game back of the top spot. Glenville State and Charleston sit tied atop the division with identical 5-1 conference records, while Wheeling, West Virginia State, Fairmont State, and West Liberty all sit one game back at 4-2. Two of the Cardinals first three 2023 conference opponents come from those six teams as they look to make strides back towards gaining that top spot in the conference ahead of this year's tournament.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting for the 33rd time in program history, with Glenville State leading the all-time series at 24-9. The series has been much closer when the two teams meet in Wheeling, with the Pioneers holding a 14-3 record in games played in Glenville, West Virginia. The Cardinals enter Wednesday night's game looking for their first win against Glenville since the 2017 season as they try to break an 11-game skid against the Pioneers.
In their most recent meeting, Wheeling fell to Glenville State in the 2022 MEC Quarterfinal round when they fell 105-45. Lauren Calhoun led the effort in that game, scoring 14 points and nine rebounds, while former Cardinal Annie Hunt, former Cardinal Ally Ziegler, and Shamia Strayhorn rounded out the scoring with five points each.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 pm inside the Waco Center on the campus of Glenville State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
