Wheeling, W. Va. - With their win over Davis & Elkins on Wednesday night, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (6-0, 2-0) got out to a 6-0 start for just the third time in program history. On Saturday, they look to get into uncharted territory as they hit the road to face West Virginia Wesleyan with tip-off at 2 PM. With a win, the Cardinals would get off to their best start in program history as they open the month of December.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up a stretch that saw them play five of their first six games at home when they hosted Davis & Elkins in Mountain East Conference (MEC) action. It was a strong start for the Cardinals that got them going as they scored 31 first quarter points to take a 31-21 lead early. It was the most points scored in any quarter so far this season by the Cardinals and they used the momentum to carry a 44-36 lead into the halftime break. Defense stepped up in the second half, allowing just eight Senator points as the Cardinals opened their lead to 68-44 heading into the final 10 minutes of play. It was enough to lift the Cardinals to their sixth straight victory to start the season and keep them undefeated in MEC play.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior transfer Briarley Rogers, who put up a season-high 20 points in the effort. She shot a healthy 54.5% from the floor, and was big from three-point range, leading the team with four three-pointers on the day. It was the second time this season that Rogers went over the 20-point mark, and her 54.5% shooting percentage was her top effort of the season. She is one of three Cardinals averaging double figure points per game so far this season, with 12.2 and has been the Cardinals third-best three-point shooter with a 35.1% mark this season. Rogers looks to continue to lead the Cardinals through MEC play as they enter the final month of the 2023 season.
It was a big day all around for the offense, with Rogers being joined by four different Cardinals at the double figure mark for the game. Freshman Kadie Colebank was among that group, setting a career-high with 10 points on the day, while just missing out on a double-double with seven rebounds. Colebank has been a big part of the Cardinal's defensive success during her freshman season and looks to build off another strong performance. Kenzie Dalton was the one distributing the ball around, and hit double digit assists for the first time this season with 10. The effort pulled her into first place in the MEC with 32 assists, sitting with five more assists than the closest competitor this season.
One of the driving factors to the Cardinal's hot start has been their defensive effort as they are allowing the fewest opponent points in the MEC this season at 61.5 points per game. Combine that with the fifth highest scoring offense with an average of 75.5 points per game, and the Cardinals have been driven to success. They remain one of two undefeated teams overall in the conference and one of just five undefeated teams in MEC play. They sit a half game behind Fairmont State for the top spot in the conference and, with their final three conference opponents of 2023 sitting in the bottom half of the conference, the Cardinals look to continue their success on the court.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 36th time in program history on Saturday afternoon, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series with a record of 20-15. However, when the teams meet in Buckhannon, West Virginia, it is the Bobcats who hold the advantage, going 9-10 in the previous 19 meetings. Wheeling has averaged 65.94 points per game in the all-time series, and will be looking to use their top defense in the conference to hold the Bobcats at bay.
In their most recent meeting, it was West Virginia Wesleyan that came out on top as they defeated the Cardinals 58-55 in Wheeling. The Cardinals were led by former Cardinal Lauren Calhoun, who finished with a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Jacqui Hinesmon added 10 points and five rebounds in the effort while Kenzie Dalton put up six assists in the loss.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday afternoon's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Rockfeller Center on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
