Wheeling, W. Va. – Over the weekend, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (0-2, 0-0) tipped off the 2024-2025 schedule at the Edinboro Tip-off Classic. They played a pair of strong teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and will keep that road stretch against the conference going. They hit the road once again to battle the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, looking for their first win of the season.
In their weekend finale, the Cardinals would battle CAL-U, the #2 ranked team in the PSAC preseason poll. It was a strong start for the Cardinals, who outscored the Vulcans 21-19 over the first quarter of play. Wheeling shot an efficient 37.5% from the floor in the quarter and showed that they could play with one of the top teams in the region. However, the Vulcans offense kept their foot on the pedal, scoring 20+ points in each of the final three quarters of play. Wheeling would only be able to put up 11 second quarter points and headed into the locker room with the score sitting at 41-32 in favor of the Vulcans. Wheeling would come back out with a strong third quarter, hitting the 37% mark from the floor again while putting up 14 points, but the damage had been done as they fell 81-56.
Wheeling has seen a big push from their freshman in the first two games of the season, led by Emilia Sierra Lacosta. Lacosta started her collegiate career with a bang, scoring 19 points in the season opener against Edinboro. She followed that up with six points against CAL-U, bringing her season average to 12.5 Points per game. She has been a spark plug from long range for the Cardinals, shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc in her first two games of the season. Along with her offensive success, she has also played a big role on the boards, averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. She took a step back from scoring in game two, putting more of a focus on defense and looks to continue to be a leader for the Cardinals as she continues through her freshman season.
In the game against CAL-U, it was freshman Kaylee Marvin leading the way, adding nine points while putting up an efficient 4-5 from the free throw line. After playing just four minutes in the opener, Marvin stepped into a much bigger role in game two, playing 20 minutes while scoring the first points of her career. As the season goes on, and the Cardinals look for the right alignment for their young lineup, Marvin looks to continue to be a consistent piece for the team. The returner for the Cardinals who shined throughout the weekend was Rachel Wilson. Wilson picked up her first double-double of the season in the opener against Edinboro, and leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game. She looks to continue to be a leader for the Cardinals under the net throughout the season.
As the Cardinals continue through their non-conference stretch, the team will have to continue to perform on the road. Each of their first four games of the season come away from the Alma Grace McDonough Center and in total they will have to play six of their first eight games of the season on the road. Last season, the Cardinals went 8-5 on the road, compared to a 10-5 mark on their home court, and they look to keep that success going. They play their first home game of the season on November 23rd against Salem and are looking to show off their young talent as they prepare for what's to come in MEC play.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountain Cats are meeting for the 20th time in program history, With Wheeling leading the all-time series at 10-9. However, when the two teams play at UPJ, the script is flipped, with the Mountan Cats holding a 4-6 advantage. The two teams met for the first time in four seasons a year ago, and the Cardinals will be looking for their first win over the Mountain Cats since the 2018-2019 season.
In their most recent meeting, Wheeling welcomed UPJ to the Alma Grace McDonough Center and would fall 73-65. Wheeling was led by former Cardinal Shamia Strayhorn, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds on the day. Former Cardinal Jacqui Hinesmon added 11 points and six rebounds, while Bryana Henderson put up 15 points off the bench to round out the Cardinal's effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 6 PM inside the Sports Center on the campus of Pitt-Johnstown. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live stats by clicking HERE.
