Wheeling, W. Va. - It was a historic win for the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (7-0, 3-0) on Saturday as they got out to their best start in program history. On Wednesday night, they hit the road for just the third time during the 2023-2024 season when they take on West Virginia State with tip-off at 5:30 PM. The Cardinals look to keep their early season success going as they play the final week of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play during the 2023 portion of the season.
Last time out, the Cardinals were on the road in Buckhannon. West Virginia as they took on West Virginia Wesleyan looking to make history. Early on, it was an offensive shootout between the two teams, with Wheeling having the slight advantage at 20-17. The Cardinals showed why they are the top defensive team in the conference, allowing just eight second half points as the Cardinals headed into the locker room with a 36-25 advantage. The back and forth continued into the third quarter, with Wheeling holding a 14-12 advantage, and the Cardinals would head into the final 10 minutes with a 50-37 lead. The hot start would end up being crucial for Wheeling as they were held to just eight fourth quarter points but were able to hold on for the 58-51 victory.
Junior Shamia Strayhorn rebounded nicely on the road to lead the Cardinals with 15 points on the afternoon. When the game came down to its final seconds and the Cardinals needed a big shot, it was Strayhorn who came through, icing the game with a three-pointer with just 17 seconds showing on the clock. The effort upped Strayhorn's average to 14.0 points per game, with the junior hitting double digits in five of the team's first seven games this season. She currently sits eighth in the conference in scoring this season with her 140 PPG and sits ninth with 101 points. Strayhorn looks to continue leading the Cardinals as they continue to build upon this historic start.
The Cardinals have three different players averaging double-digit points this season, and much of that is thanks to sophomore Kenzie Dalton. Dalton leads the MEC with 34 assists this season and picked up two more assists in the game against the Yellow Jackets. Her biggest effort of the season came in the game prior against Davis & Elkins, when she finished with 10 assists on the night. She is averaging just under 5.0 assists per game through seven games played and will be relied on to be a leader for the Cardinals. Briarley Rogers has also stepped up as of late, scoring 31 combined points through her past two games. She had a 20-point effort against the Senators setting a season-high and sits third on the team with a .364 shooting percentage from three-point range.
While the overall start has been historic for the Cardinals, they still have some work to do to reach their record for a start in conference play. The 2016-2017 team started the conference schedule 6-0 ahead of winning the MEC Championships. The Cardinals are one of two undefeated teams remaining in the MEC with Fairmont State sitting with an equal 7-0 record. With two more MEC contests before the Christmas break, the Cardinals look to keep their undefeated record alive heading into the break. With their final two games coming against teams that sit in the lower half of the conference, the Cardinals hope to extend their lead and keep up with the top teams in the conference.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 33rd time in program history, with the all-time series being tied at 16 wins a piece. The home team has had the advantage with West Virginia State leading the all-time matchup in Institute, West Virginia with a record of 9-7. The Cardinals have had success as of late, winning five of the previous eight matches, but West Virginia State has won three of the past four meetings.
The last time the two teams met came on February4th, 2023, when West Virginia State picked up an 83-78 victory. They were led by Jacqui Hinesmon, who finished with 20 points and eight rebounds on the night while former Cardinal Lauren Calhoun finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and 12 rebounds. The final Cardinal to finish in double digits was former Cardinal Carla Torrubia Cano, who finished with 14 points on the night.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 PM inside the Walker Convocation Center on the campus of West Virginia State. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
