Wheeling, W. Va. - On Wednesday night, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (10-3, 5-1) scored their biggest win of the 2023-24 season when they took down #9 Fairmont State. The offense and defense were clicking on all cylinders, and the Cardinals looked to ride that wave of success as they hit the road Saturday. They make the trip to Frostburg State University to take on the Bobcats, with tip-off scheduled for 2 PM.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout Wednesday night, but early on the Cardinals were the ones with the leg up. Wheeling put up 20 points during the game's first quarter, matching their first quarter average for the season, and led 20-14 after 10 minutes. However, Fairmont State was quick to respond with 17 points in the second and by the time the teams entered the locker room with the score tied at 31-31. The two teams would continue their back-and-forth throughout regulation, and when time expired the score remained tied at 65-65. Fairmont State would score the first three points of the overtime period, but the Cardinals came back and tied the game with a layup with 43 seconds to go. Shamia Strayhorn would come to the line after drawing the three-point play and made the shot to give Wheeling a 71-70 lead. Wheeling would add one more free throw and it was enough to seal the win.
It was a big game for Strayhorn, who led the Cardinals with 17 points on the night while sitting second on the team with seven rebounds. Since the Christmas break, Strayhorn has been on a tear, scoring 17 or more points in each of her last three games while averaging 18 points per game during that stretch. She has been taking her opportunities when they have come on offense, taking a team-high 46 shots during that span, and has come through from the free throw line. She is shooting 72.7% from the line during her last two games, including hitting two of the final three free throws in overtime that sealed the victory for the Cardinals.
One of the big components to the Cardinal's success on the day came from their defensive unit, which continues to lead the MEC (Mountain East Conference) allowing 61.7 PPG after Wednesday night's game. They produced big stops twice with the game on the line, once in the final seconds of regulation and once in overtime. At the end of regulation, the Cardinals would hold Fairmont State off the board for just over two minutes to force overtime at 65-65. Then, as time ticked down in overtime, the Cardinals called on their defense one more time for a big stop. Fairmont State got the ball back with 1.6 seconds to play and the Cardinals were able to thwart a last second shot attempt to secure the win. The Cardinals showed fight throughout the day and did enough to take down a nationally ranked opponent.
The win also helped the Cardinals in the conference standings, as they moved to within a half game of the conference lead with the win. They also leapfrogged Frostburg State, taking a half-game lead and have a chance to extend that lead with the game on Saturday. With the Cardinals taking on MEC play from here on out, with the exception of one non-conference game against Salem, the Cardinals look to keep the momentum going throughout 2024. Behind the best defense in the conference, Wheeling looks to clinch a first-round tournament bye for the second season in a row in 2024.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the ninth time in program history on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 7-1. The only Cardinal loss in that series came on the road, where they hold a 3-1 record against the Bobcats. It has been a low scoring series overall between the two teams, with Wheeling averaging 69.5 PPG and the highest score by either team being 83 points by the Cardinals back during the 2020 COVID season.
In their last meeting, Wheeling picked up a 72-63 win at home as they swept the 2022-23 season series. The Cardinals were led by Shamia Strayhorn, who put up 22 points to lead the way while sitting second with eight rebounds. Former Cardinal Lauren Calhoun added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while former Cardinal Shanley Woods added 11 points on the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Bobcat Arena on the campus of Frostburg State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
