Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (8-3, 4-1) wrapped up their pre-Christmas schedule on Tuesday when they hit the road to Pepper Pike, Ohio. The Cardinals got out to an early lead with the three-pointer, but it wasn't enough as they fell to Ursuline College 68-59. After shooting 58.3% from the floor in the first quarter, the Cardinals could not hit that mark for the rest of the game as they took their third loss of the 2023 season.
It took a while for both teams to get going as the teams traded a pair of three-pointers over the first three minutes of play. Kenzie Dalton would hit the first Cardinal three at the 8:12 mark of the quarter and it would be the first of four straight threes for the Cardinals. Briarley Rogers would hit the first two threes and Bryana Henderson wrapped up the 12-0 run at the 4:11 mark as the Cardinals took a 12-3 lead. Three straight points from the Arrows would bring the Cardinal run to a halt, but a layup from Jacqui Hinesmon and a three from Graci Fairman secured the lead. The Cardinals were ahead 19-14 after one quarter and shot an impressive 58.3% from the floor and 83.3% from three-point range.
As the second quarter started, Ursuline's Alexis Frazee hit a three-pointer that made it a three-point game and the Cardinals were able to hold off the Arrows for the first three minutes. Fairman would put up three points during that time and Rachel Wilson added a layup that held them to a 24-22 advantage. The two teams would go back and forth during the next three minutes and Dalton hit another three as part of a 5-2 run that made it 29-24 with 5:41 to play. However, Ursuline would punch back, going on a 16-2 run over the final four minutes of play as they took their first lead since the seven-minute mark of the first quarter at 40-31. Fairman would hit one more jumper before the teams broke for the half and the Cardinals would trail 40-33 entering the second half.
The Cardinals needed to come out strong in the second half and they would score four of the first six points as Rogers hit a pair of layups to make it 42-37. The two teams stayed tightly contested through the first five minutes of the half and by the media timeout, the Cardinals were trailing by six at 47-41. Shamia Strayhorn would hit a free throw and Hinesmon added a layup as the Cardinal's final two scores of the quarter, while Ursuline added nine points of their own to take a 56-44 lead. The Cardinals had a big fourth quarter comeback last time out against Pitt-Johnstown, and they were looking for a similar offensive output trailing by 12.
As the fourth quarter began, Ursuline would score the first eight points of the quarter to extend their lead to 64-44. The Cardinals would break the run with a pair of free throws by Fairman as they began a run of their own. They scored 10 straight points over a span of three minutes, and they got back to within 10 points of the Arrows at 64-54. The Cardinals defense remained strong over the final five minutes of play, allowing just two points during that span as the Cardinals continued to try and battle back. Fairman capped off her big day with a three-pointer at the 3:07 mark and Wilson rounded out the day with a layup with 30 seconds to go as the Cardinals would gall to the Arrows 68-59 heading into the NCAA DII Life and Balance Break.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Briarley Rogers, who finished with 18 points and a team-high four three-pointers on the day. Rogers shot 44.4% from three-point range on the day and added three turnovers and three assists to round out her first half of the season. The other double-digit scorer on the day for the Cardinals was Graci Fairman, who finished with 15 points and a 75% mark (3-4) from three-point range on the day. The defensive effort was led by Rachel Wilson, who finished with eight rebounds, while Rogers and Bryana Henderson led the way with three assists each on the afternoon.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team now heads into the NCAA DII Life and Balance Break for the holiday season. The Cardinals will return to action on Saturday, December 30th, when they hit the road to face Lake Erie College at 3 PM.
