Wheeling, W. Va. – On Tuesday, classes at Wheeling University take a break as students and staff get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving break with friends and family. The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (4-0, 1-0) gets the break started with a bang when they take on Salem University in non-conference action with tip-off at 5:30 PM. It will be the first of two meetings between the two teams as part of the Mountain East Conference (MEC)'s non-conference agreement with Salem University.

The Cardinals kicked off MEC play on Saturday, as they made the trip to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College. Early on, it was the Falcons who got out to a hot start, taking a 10-point lead over the first five minutes of the game. As the period went on, the Cardinals began to battle back and made it a 24-18 game by the end of the first quarter. From there on, the Cardinals offense took over, outscoring the Falcons in the final three quarters as they completed the comeback. They trailed by just one point in the second quarter, trailing 36-35, before putting up 35 second half points to claim the 70-57 victory. The Cardinals continued their winning streak to start the season with their fourth straight victory as they improve to 4-0 over their first four games.

Leading the way for the second straight game was junior Shamia Strayhorn, who put up a team-high 18 points and three assists in the victory. She was efficient from the floor, shooting 58.3% on the day and added a 3-4 mark on the free throw line and three rebounds to round out the day. Strayhorn has been in double figures for three of the four games so far this season, averaging 14.0 points per game this season. She sits seventh in the conference in scoring so far and ninth in points with 56 through four games played. As MEC play kicks into high gear following the Thanksgiving break, Strayhorn looks to continue to lead her team as they continue their roll.

Aside from Strayhorn, the Cardinals have spread the ball around effectively throughout the season, with three players averaging in double figures. Bryana Henderson sits right behind Strayhorn, averaging 10.8 points per game this season, while sitting second on the team with a 95.0% mark from the free throw line. Henderson has the second highest mark from the charity stripe in the conference and sits second with 19 free throws made this season. The other double-figure scorer for the Cardinals is Briarley Rogers, averaging 10.5 points per game. Rogers has been efficient both from three-point range and from the floor with marks of 34.8% and 38.9% respectively. The Cardinals look to continue to spread the love throughout the season as they add dimensions to their offense.

As they enter the Thanksgiving break, the Cardinals are sitting high as one of two undefeated teams in the MEC. Through the first conference games of the season, Wheeling and Fairmont State sit atop the conference at 4-0, while West Virginia State and Glenville State each sit at 3-1. With another non-conference tilt scheduled for Tuesday, the Cardinals look to make it five in a row before the Thanksgiving break before they hit the ground running in conference play when they return November 29th. The team is off to their best start since the 2016-2017 season, when they also started 4-0, and they look to duplicate that season's effort that ended in an MEC Championship.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the 22nd time in program history on Tuesday, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series at 20-1. The Cardinals have not yet lost a home game to the Tigers, going 10-0 in ten previous meetings, while posting a 10-1 record in 11 matches. It has been a high scoring series for the Cardinals, as they have averaged 75.29 points per game in previous meetings, however the Cardinals have not scored more than 60 points in three of the last four meetings between the two teams.

Their last meeting came a year ago on December 29th, 2022, as Salem picked up their first-ever win against Wheeling with a 59-54 win. The Cardinals were led by former Cardinal Lauren Calhoun, who finished with a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kenzie Dalton added 10 points and seven rebounds on the day. Jacqui Hinesmon finished just behind Calhoun, picking up 10 rebounds on the day while Calhoun led the way with three assists.

The Details

Tip-off for Tuesday 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.