Wheeling, W. Va. - As we hit the heart of January, teams around the Mountain East Conference (MEC) are gearing up for the MEC Tournament. The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team looks to continue their journey to the postseason on Saturday when they travel to Athens, West Virginia to take on Concord at 2 PM. After dropping a tough battle on Wednesday night to Glenville State, the Cardinals are looking to bounce back and get on the right track down the postseason stretch.
The Cardinals faced a tough battle on Wednesday night, and early on they had to adjust to the Pioneer's press defense. The Cardinals scored on the first possession of the day, but Glenville State followed with 15 straight points to take a 15-2 advantage. The Cardinals remained in single digits until halfway through the second quarter, when Emilia Sierra Lacosta hit a layup to make it 15-11. However, the Cardinals were unable to claw back, and would head into halftime trailing 28-18. The Cardinals battled back throughout the second half, but it was the fourth quarter where the team really took off. The Cardinals shot 78.5% from the floor in the quarter and got to within four points of the Pioneers at 55-51 with 5:48 to play. However, that is as close as they would get, with Glenville State going on to win 77-65.
Leading the way for the Cardinals for the third straight game was redshirt sophomore Rachel Wilson, who finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds. It was the third double-double for Wilson in the past four games and the second straight game where she went over the 20-point mark. Since the turn of the calendar year, Wilson has taken her game to a new level, averaging 18.0 PPG, while also averaging 14.3 Rebounds per game over the same stretch. Wilson was named the MEC's Women's Basketball Player of the Week two weeks ago, and has been a leader for the forwards group all season long. She is chasing down her first All-MEC honor of her career and looks to lead the Cardinals down the stretch.
One of the keys to the Cardinal's fourth quarter success against Glenville State came via freshmen Layla Merriweather and Hillari Baker. Merriweather, who subbed into the game at the end of the third quarter, went on a tear to star the final 10 minutes. The run started with a free throw at the 9:17 mark of the quarter, and she followed with back-to-back three-pointers that made it a 10-point game. She scored seven of her career-high 10 points during the stretch and turned things over to Baker. Baker, who has been seeing more and more time on the court over the last few games, kept things going with a three-pointer at the seven minute mark. She would be the one to get the Cardinals within four points with a three-pointer with 5:48 to go, and she would add a jumper to round out the day. Baker finished with eight points on the day and is averaging 8.5 PPG over her last two appearances.
Despite the loss on Wednesday night, the Cardinals are still clinging to one of the top six spots, with Saturday's game playing a big factor in their standings. The Cardinals are currently tied with Concord for that #6 spot, and a win would give Wheeling momentum heading into the final six weeks of the season. However, a loss would give Concord the tiebreaker and would have Wheeling needing to rely on other teams to help their cause. With a young team on her hands, Head Coach Anna Kowalska is encouraging her girls to take the journey one game at a time and pick up as many wins as they can along the way. This mentality is meant to drown out the noise and prepare the Cardinals for what they will face in the coming weeks.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the 39th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 24-14. The home team has had the advantage as of late, winning each of the past four meetings between the two teams, while the Cardinals hold a 7-9 record when playing in Athens, West Virginia. Defense has ruled the last three matchups, with neither team going over the 75-point mark in any of those three games.
The last meeting between the two teams came on February 21st, 2024, in a game that Concord would win 74-71. Former Cardinal Shamia Strayhorn would lead the way, finishing with 24 points and five assists on the day. Former Cardinal Briarley Rogers added 13 points of her own while Kenzie Dalton led the team with eight rebounds and six assists on the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Carter Center on the campus of Concord University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
