Wheeling, W. Va. - The NCAA DII Life and Balance break provided a chance for the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (8-3, 4-1) to go home and recharge as they celebrated the holiday season. On Saturday, that break comes to an end and its back to business for the Cardinals as they hit the road to take on Lake Erie College with tip-off at 3 PM. It will be the finale of the 2023 portion of the Cardinal's schedule, as they prepare for the Mountain East Conference (MEC) stretch run in 2024.
The Cardinals last took the court on December 19th when they headed to Pepper Pike, Ohio to take on Ursuline College. After a slow start the previous time out against Pitt-Johnstown, the Cardinals got back to their first quarter success, putting up 19 points over the first 10 minutes of play. However, the Arrows got going in the second quarter, responding with 26 points and the teams went into halftime with Wheeling trailing 40-33. The second half would once again see back and forth action between the two teams, with Ursuline winning the third quarter while Wheeling outscored the Arrows 15-12 over the final 10 minutes, in the end, the comeback effort would fall short as Wheeling fell 68-59, picking up their third loss of the season.
It was another strong outing for junior Briarley Rogers, who led the Cardinals with 18 points and sat second with three assists on the afternoon. She had a lot of her success from beyond the arc, going 4-9 from long range accounting for all but two of her baskets on the night. Rogers has been strong from three-point range as of late, hitting at least two three pointers in five of her last six games, and hitting three or more three times during that span. She is the team's second leading scorer so far this season, averaging 12.7 PPG, and looks to continue to lead the Cardinals as they head down the MEC stretch run.
The other Cardinal to finish in double figures on the night was sophomore Graci Fairman, who finished with 15 points on the afternoon. It was the sophomore's biggest offensive output since she put up 14 points against Davis & Elkins, and she was one of the Cardinal's most efficient shooters with a 50% mark from the floor. Fairman currently sits third on the team with a 46.8% mark from the floor and looks to keep her success going into 2024. On the defensive side, the Cardinals continued their string of success, holding their opponent under the 70-point mark for the ninth time in 11 games. The Cardinals continue to be the best defensive team in the conference, allowing an average of 62.1 PPG, and that defensive effort will be key as the team heads down the stretch.
Saturday will serve as the penultimate non-conference game of the season for the Cardinals, and they look to use it to prepare for what's ahead in MEC play. When their conference schedule resumes on January 10th, the Cardinals will face four straight opponents in the top seven of the conference, with the first two teams of that stretch holding the #1 and #2 spots. They open the stretch at home against Fairmont State on the 10th, who currently leads the conference, and their defense will be key to slowing down the opposition. Saturday will give them a chance to regroup on both sides of the ball in preparation for the change of the calendar year.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Storm are meeting for the seventh time in program history, with the all-time series being tied at three wins apiece. However, the Cardinals will be looking for their first-ever road win against Lake Erie, with the team going 0-2 in two previous trips to Painesville, Ohio. It will be the Cardinals first trip to Lake Erie College since the 2011 season as they look to get the good fortune back on their side for the new year.
Last season, Wheeling fell to Lake Erie at home in a 79-65 affair inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinals were led in that game by former Cardinal Lauren Calhoun, who finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds in the loss. Kenzie Dalton and former Cardinal Fatima Mohammad rounded out the double-digit scorers, putting up 12 and 10 points respectively in the game.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 3 PM inside the Jerome T. Osborne Center on the campus of Lake Erie College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
