Wheeling, W. Va. - After receiving a first round bye on Wednesday, the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (18-10, 12-8) kicks off their Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament run on Thursday evening in the Quarterfinals. It will be a rematch of last season's quarterfinal matchup, when they take on #4 seeded Charleston inside the WesBanco Arena with tip-off at 8:30 PM. The Cardinals are looking to reverse their fortunes from a season ago and get into the semifinals for the first time since the 2020-2021 season.
The Cardinals ended the regular season on a high note as they took on West Liberty and picked up a 73-58 win. It was back and forth throughout the first quarter, with neither team holding more than a five point lead. West Liberty would have the upper hand, leading 16-15 after one and would push that lead to a two-point advantage at 32-20 heading into the half. However, in the third quarter, the Cardinals made their big push, scoring a game-high 28 points as they overtook the Hilltoppers and built a 60-43 lead after three. That push was enough to give them the victory as they took down West Liberty 73-58 to pick up their 18th win of the season.
It was a strong day for the Cardinals under the net, as Rachel Wilson led the way with a season-best 21 points on the night. Wilson was strong in the paint throughout the night, shooting 66.7% from the floor while adding one block on the defensive side. It was the 12th time this season that Wilson has gotten in double digits as she led a Cardinal's big group that scored 42 points in the paint. Wilson will play a big factor in the Cardinal's quarterfinal matchup as they look to not only limit Charleston's forwards, but create opportunities under the net for the Cardinals.
As they have done all season, the Cardinals passed the ball around effectively throughout the day, with nine different Cardinals finishing with at least one point on the night. Sitting behind Wilson was Graci Fairman, who added 11 points off the bench. She shot 3-7 from the floor on the night and added an assist and a block in the contest. The Cardinals had a big rebounding day, securing 47 total rebounds, with four different players leading the effort. Wilson, Kenzie Dalton, Jacqui Hinesmon, and Kadie Colebank each finished with seven rebounds on the night. The Cardinals will look to continue their rebounding success against Charleston as they try to set up their offense.
As they enter the 2024 MEC Tournament, the Cardinals are up one spot from last season, sitting at the #5 seed. The Cardinals earned a first-round bye for the second consecutive season and sit just three wins away from clinching their first MEC Championship since the 2016-2017 season. Last season, Wheeling made a first round exit in the tournament, falling to the same Golden Eagles in the quarterfinals, and over their last two MEC Tournament appearances, the Cardinals are 1-2 across their three games. They enter the tournament with the best defense in the conference and they look to use that to their advantage.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles will be meeting for the 41st time in program history on Thursday, and the seventh time in the postseason. In those seven previous postseason meetings, Charleston leads with a record of 1-5, with the lone Cardinal postseason win coming back on March 3rd, 2016. Wheeling will be looking to break a 13-game losing streak at the hands of the Golden Eagles, with their last win against Charleston coming back on February 8th, 2018.
In their most recent meeting with Charleston, the Cardinals fell on the road 62-56 in a game that came down to the final minutes. The Cardinals were led by Briarley Rogers, who finished with 18 points and shot 8-14 from the floor. The Cardinals had two more double digit scorers on the day as Shamia Strayhorn (13) and Rachel Wilson (12) each hit double figures in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Thursday night's game is scheduled for 8:30 PM inside WesBanco Arena. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
