Edinboro, P.a- Day two of the Edinboro Tip-off Classic saw the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (0-2), (0-0) faceoff against the California Vulcans. The Cardinals started strong but fell to the efficient Vulcan shooters 81-56.
Kristel Rattasepp started things off right from behind the arc for the early Wheeling lead. California did not trail behind for long, as they got nine points over the subsequent three minutes. Kenzie Dalton grabbed a defensive rebound and drove down the court for two points, and then repeated the fastbreak to shrink the lead to 8-6 with 6:46 to play. As the clock passed the six-minute mark, Rattasepp made good on a layup to tie it up, and then Mah Minthe took the lead back 42 seconds later with a three-pointer. Minthe earned herself two free throws with under two minutes to play. She sank both of them to put the Cardinals up by four. A Nina Shaw jumper and a Dalton foul would send Cal U to the line, and they tied things up at 15 with under a minute to play in the first quarter. Both teams traded points in the dying seconds, but the Cardinal's Cylee Leggett was fouled, made the basket, and completed the three-point play with the free throw to give Wheeling the 21-19 advantage at the end of the quarter.
The Vulcans got back to deadlock with a layup and regained the lead shortly after courtesy of a three-pointer by Talia Gilliard with 9:01 to play until half. Lockdown defense showed for the next two minutes. No team found success, but Wheeling forced a turnover, giving Kaylee Marvin a chance to drop a layup in to make it 24-23 California. The Vulcans' Alicia Young got the bucket and a foul as she converted the shot for a 27-23 lead. More defense prevailed, but California was about to go on a 7-3 run over the next three minutes to extend their lead to 34-26 with 3:40 to play. Mia Donald made a free throw and a layup to keep the Cardinals fighting. The Vulcans created another run of 5-0. Graci Hartman converted and stopped the slide with over a minute to play. Emilia Sierra Lacosta was awarded a trip to the line and made both throws to go into the locker room trailing 41-32 to California.
The Vulcans blazed out of the break, separating themselves from the opposition by 19 points with only two minutes played in the third quarter. Bryana Henderson and Dalton put a stake in the ground with layups with 7:16 left to play, but California insisted on the space and added four points of their own to make it 55-36. A quick three from Henderson with 5:41 to play was the last basket until Rachel Wilson kissed the ball off the glass at 4:07. Wilson added three more points within the next two minutes to cut the lead to 57-44. Two free throws by Cal U pushed the lead to 61-46 to close the third quarter.
Rattasepp and the Vulcans traded buckets to start the fourth quarter. California proceeded to sporadically acquire the following 11 points across four minutes to go up 74-48. Two successful free throws and a basket by Marvin at 3:24 stopped the run temporarily. The Vulcans kept attacking to close things out; however, Lacosta and Graci Fairman put up a couple of markers before the game concluded with a final score of 81-56.
Kaylee Marvin led the team with 9 points off the bench in the loss. Bryana Henderson, Kristel Rattasepp, and Kenzie Dalton finished with seven points. Rachel Wilson picked up five rebounds.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team will remain on the road and travel to face Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, November 13th at 6 pm.
