Wheeling, W. Va. After getting back in the win column on Wednesday night, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (16-7, 11-4) looked to keep the momentum going on the road. They headed to Elkins, West Virginia to take on Davis & Elkins, and kept the momentum going with a 62-55 win. After falling behind early, the Cardinal's offense was able to take charge, with four different players finishing the day in double figures.

Early on, the Cardinals got things going in the paint with a pair of Rachel Wilson layups that put the Cardinals out in front 4-0. A 5-0 response by the Senators flipped the script and Davis & Elkins les5-4 at the 6:04 mark of the quarter. Both defenses would step in for the next three minutes as neither team was able to get on the board. At the first media timeout, the Senators maintained their one-point advantage until a pair of Kadie Colebank free throws got the Cardinals back out in front 6-5 at the 3:48 mark. The back and forth continued as the Senators put together a quick response and went up 10-7 with 2:00 to play in the quarter. The Cardinals would hit a short 4-0 advantage with shots from Wilson and Shamia Strayhorn, but a free throw for the Senators in the final minute would make it an 11-11 game after one.

Davis & Elkins would be the one to come out strong in the second quarter, scoring the first two baskets to take their biggest lead of the night at 15-11 at the 7:48 mark of the quarter. Graci Fairman broke the run with a layup and a Bryana Henderson two-pointer tied things up at 15-15. They kept the run going until the Cardinals were ahead 18-15 at the second quarter media timeout. Henderson and Fairman would continue to play big down the stretch as the teams went back and forth with a Henderson free throw and a Fairman three-pointer would get the Cardinals to the 23 points mark. However, Davis & Elkins kept going as well and with 1:23 to play, the Senators had tied things up at 23-23. The Cardinals would need some big shots at the end of the period, and Rogers provided just that with a pair of three-pointers that put the Cardinals ahead 29-23 heading into the half..

Davis & Elkins would hit the first point out of the second half with a free throw, and Wilson got the Cardinals going with a layup at the 8:18 mark. Defense prevailed throughout the quarter on both sides, as those were the only two baskets scored fuor either side over the first four minutes of play. It would be Wilson who got her team back on the board and sent them off on a 5-0 run as they built their lead up to 37-26 with 3:26 to play in the quarter. A Davis & Elkins three-pointer would break the run, but the Cardinals were right back at it as they answered with a Dalton layup. The two teams would combine for 17 points over the final three minutes of play as both teams were hitting their shots. However, it was the Cardinals who maintained their advantage as they headed into the final 10 minutes of play with a 47-33 lead.

The fast-paced action would continue into the final quarter of play, as the teams traded the first four points across the first four possessions. However, the Senators began to battle back as they hit a 6-0 run heading into the final media timeout, cutting the Cardinal lead to 52-44. Free throws by both Strayhorn and Fairman temporarily broke the run, but the Senators came back and made it a 54-50 game with three minutes to go. They would get to within one point thanks to a layup and a free throw and the Cardinals would get a big three-pointer from Briarley Rogers would get the Cardinals back on track and added a pair of free throws that would seal the effort. The Cardinals went on to win by the final score of 62-55 to complete the week with a sweep of their two games. 

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Briarley Rogers, who finished with 13 points on the night and came up clutch when her team needed her to. She hit a pair of big threes at the end of the first half and added a three pointer to end the game and sealed the victory. Along with Roger's effort, the Cardinals had three other players hit double figures on the afternoon. Rachel Wilson (12), Graci Fairman (12)=-and Shamia Strayhorn (11) each finished with double digit points on the day. Rogers also led the defensive effort with seven rebounds while Henderson and Dalton each led the with three assists in the win. The Cardinals will continue on the road this week as they continue down the playoff stretch.

The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, February 14th, when they hit the road to take on Fairmont State.