Elkins, W. Va. - The final stretch of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play for the first half of the 2024-2025 season kicked off on Wednesday night when the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (5-3, 2-0) traveled to Elkins, West Virginia. They got off to a fast start against MEC rival Davis & Elkins, and rode the momentum to a 79-63 win. More than half of that offense came in the first 20 minutes of play, and despite a comeback attempt by the Senators, the Cardinals were able to hold on for the win.
The key to the Cardinal's first half success was their efficiency from the floor, shooting 52.38% in the first quarter. That offense got going right away as Emilia Sierra Lacosta drew an early foul and got two points on the free throws to get Wheeling out to a 2-0 lead. That offense would continue through the first two and a half minutes of play, as Wheeling scored nine of the first 11 points to stake themselves to a 9-2 advantage. Davis & Elkins' Jackie Wright would get the Senators to within five points at the 6:46 mark, but the Cardinals went off and running again after Bryana Henderson hit a three-point play. It sent the team on a 12-0 run that opened things up to 23-6. The Cardinals eclipsed 30 points before the quarter came to an end on a Mah Minthe layup, and were staked to a 32-13 after one quarter of play.
Davis & Elkins would get the first points of the second quarter, but the Cardinals continued their efficient shooting. Minthe hit a layup to start the scoring and a three-pointer right before the media timeout moved the Wheeling lead to 42-16 with five minutes to go before the half. Just like it was against Ursuline, the Cardinals once again used the three-pointer to help them pull away, hitting four of the five threes they attempted coming down the stretch. Graci Fairman would hit two of the four three-pointers, including the final shot of the half, and the Cardinals went into the locker room with a 59-28 advantage. The Cardinals had their most efficient quarter of the day before halftime, shooting 62.50% from the floor and 55.56% from beyond the arc. The Cardinals shot 56.8% from the floor throughout the first half and would look to continue that into the second half.
The Senators would come out of halftime looking to battle back, and they would take the first four points of the quarter. The Cardinals responded at the 7:19 mark with a three-pointer from Sierra Lacosta as the Cardinals went over the 60-point mark. It was back and forth over the first four minutes of the quarter, but the Cardinal's defense would hold the Senators at bay. They did not allow a point over the next three minutes, as the team went off on a 6-0 run that made it a 69-34 game. Graci Fairman added her third three-pointer of the game to get Wheeling over the 70-point mark, making it a 72-35 advantage. Davis & Elkins would outscore the Cardinals 14-13 in the quarter, but the Cardinals maintained their 72-42 advantage.
The Senators ended the third quarter on a 7-0 run, and continued that run into the fourth quarter. They would score the first 15 points of the new quarter to complete a 22-0 run. Rachel Wilson would stop the run with a jumper and despite the big run, the Cardinals maintained their advantage at 74-57. Wilson would finish out the game strong in her return from injury, scoring four of the final seven Cardinal points, and Henderson added a pair of free throws. Davis & Elkins would score a game-high 21 points over the final 10 minutes of play, but the strong play early was enough for the Cardinals to hold on for the 79-63 win. They moved to 2-0 in conference play with the win, and pushed their win streak to four straight games.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Emilia Sierra Lacosta, who finished with 18 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. Sierra Lacosta was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter on the night, going 6-9 (66.7%) from the floor while adding a 2-5 mark from beyond the arc. Graci Fairman continued her recent string of success, adding 13 points off the bench and a team-high three three-pointers, going 3-6 from beyond the arc. Bryana Henderson (14) and Kenzie Dalton (11) would round out the double digit scorers, with both players also tying with Sierra Lacosta for the team lead in rebounds. Dalton would lead the team with five assists, while Rachel Wilson made a strong return on the glass with six rebounds.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to action on Saturday, December 7th, when they host West Virginia Wesleyan with tip-off at 2 PM.
