Wheeling, W. Va. – The final push in the first half of the season began on Saturday afternoon as the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (4-3, 1-0) returned to the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinal offense was firing on all cylinders as they took down Ursuline 72-63. The Cardinals had four players finish in double digits as they got over .500 for the first time this season with their third win in a row.

It would be a defensive game through the first four minutes of play with the two teams combining for just seven points. Ursuline would get the games first points at the 8:12 mark of the quarter, and Wheeling would get on the board on the next possession thanks to a three-pointer from Emilia Sierra-Lacosra. The Arrows would hit the first run of the day, scoring five straight points, but the Cardinals were quick to respond. With the Ursuline advantage sitting at 9-5, Kaylee Marvin would make it a three-point game with a free throw and Sierra Lacosta added a three-pointer to tie things up at 9-9. Ursuline quickly added a layup to get the lead back, and they rode that lead to a 17-14 advantage by quarter's end. Bryana Henderson got her big day started with a three-pointer that tied things up at 14-14 and the Cardinals would look to take back the lead in the second quarter.

It would take Wheeling just over a minute to do just that as Mia Donald started the new quarter with a free throw. Mah Minthe provided a spark off the bench with a three-pointer and wheeling was in front for the first time since the 6 minute mark of the first quarter with an 18-17 advantage. It would be back and forth throughout the quarter, with the lead changing hands five times over the 10 minute stretch. With 5:57 Left before the half, wheeling would hit a 5-0 run that had them out in front 25-22 by the break. However, the tables would quickly turn as Ursuline respondedWith seven straight points of their own to make it a 29-25 game with 3:09 showing on the first half clock. The Cardinals would once again turn to the three-pointer to get them back in the lead as Sierra Lacosta and Kristel Rattasepp each hit from beyond the arc before halftime and Wheeling went into the locker room with a 35-31 advantage.

It was Wheeling's efficiency from the three-point line in the second quarter that had them in front, with the team going 4-7 from beyond the arc. After the Arrows opened the new half with a three-pointer that made it a 35-34 game, the Cardinal offense would come to life. They got to the 40 point mark on a Minthe lay up and were able to hold off a strong push from Ursuline. The Arrows were within two points of the Cardinals at 42-40 before the three ball once again got them going. Kenzie Dalton and Rattasepp each hit threes as part of an eight-point swing That made it a 50-40 wheeling advantage with 1:59 to go in the quarter. Weiling would end up scoring 20 points in the quarter and after three held a 55-44 advantage.

Despite being down by 11 points, Ursuline put together their best quarter of the day over the final 10 minutes. A Marvin layup gave the Cardinals their biggest advantage of the day at 57-44, but the Arrows would slowly chip away at that lead. They got to within nine points of the Cardinals with 3:04 to play, but as they had done throughout the night it was the three ball that would seal the deal. Minthe would be the one to hit the game winning shot, and the Cardinals would finish things out from the free throw line. Henderson would draw foul with 30 seconds to play and hit the two shots to get wheeling to 72 points. Ursuline would add one more three-pointer in the waning seconds of play, but the Cardinals held on for the 72-63 win.

It was another big day on the court for graduate student Bryana Henderson, who tied for the team lead with 15 points. It is the third time in the past four games that Henderson has hit the 15 point mark, bringing her season average to 10.3 points per game. The other Cardinal to reach the 15-point plateau was Kristel Rattasepp, who hit both three-pointers that she attempted while going 6-14 (42.9%) from the floor. Emilia Sierra Lacosta (11) and Mah Minthe (10) rounded out the double figure scores for the Cardinals, with the pair leading Wheeling three-point attack. Sierra Lacosta went 3-5 from beyond the arc., while Minthe went 2-3. Kenzie Dalton rounded out the day finishing with a team high six rebounds and four assists in the win.

The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, December 4^th, when they hit the road to face Davis & Elkins at 5:30 PM.