Wheeling, W. Va. – Throughout the regular season, there are always some special dates that every team circles on the calendar. That day has come for the Wheeling Women's Basketball team (9-8, 5-4) as they open the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" with West Liberty University. The rivalry comes to the Alma Grace McDonough Center on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 2 PM.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up the non-conference portion of their schedule as they traveled to Salem University. The Cardinals pride themselves on their defensive work, and that came to the forefront with Wheeling holding the Tigers to a 20% mark from the floor. While the defense was holding strong, the Cardinal offense took off, hitting 50% of their shots during the half. They put up a season-high 30 points in the second quarter, and went into the locker room leading 48-17. Salem would make some halftime adjustments and came out stronger in the second half. They would outscore the Cardinals 30-26, but the early Cardinal advantage was enough to hold the lead. Wheeling would go on to win 74-47, allowing the fewest points in a game of the season to move to 9-8 overall.
It was a big day all around for the Cardinals, with five different players hitting double figures, but freshman Emilia Sierra Lacosta led the way. She finished with 15 points on the night, while making 63.6% (7-11) of her shots throughout the night. After being held to single digits over the past two games, Sierra Lacosta came back with a vengeance, getting to double figures for the fourth time in the past six games. The key to Sierra Lacosta's success was her layup work, taking advantage of her teammates steals and taking them the other way for points. The freshman has been the Cardinal's third leading scorer this season, averaging 10.1 PPG, and sits in the top 20 in the conference with 1.5 three-pointers per game. She looks to continue that success throughout the season and lead the Cardinals.
One player who hasn't been at the top of the stats, but has been making an impact is Kenzie Dalton. Dalton has served as the team's point guard throughout the season, flirting with a triple double in each of the past two games. She got as close as she has been all season against Salem, finishing with eight points, eight assists, and nine rebounds. She tied for the team lead in both rebounds and assists, and has been a leader on the court. During the 30-point second quarter outburst, it was Mah Minthe leading the way. She scored all 11 of her points during the quarter, helping the Cardinals outscore the Tigers 15-4 over the final five minutes. She went 3-4 from the floor during the run, with two of those shots coming from beyond the arc.
As they head into their annual "The Battle for Wheeling" the Cardinals find themselves in a spot to make a run in the conference standings. With Davis & Elkins falling to Fairmont State on Wednesday night, the Cardinal's magic number to clinch a playoff spot has dropped to eight. They hold the #6 seed in the MEC Tournament field, and look to stay within that top six as they head into February. Saturday will complete the team's first trip around the MEC and they will face the entire conference one more time over the final 11 games. Wheeling looks to take what they have learned from the first matchups of the season, and make the necessary adjustments to turn some of their early season losses into wins.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 54th edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" on Saturday, with West Liberty leading the all-time series at 38-15. However, recent history has gone to the Cardinals, with Wheeling winning three of the past four matchups, winning each of the past two season series. Wheeling has faired better at home all-time, going 10-12 on their home court, and look yoCo jure some of that home court magic.
The last meeting between the two teams came on March 2nd, 2024, in a game the Cardinals would win 73-58. The Cardinals were led by Rachel Wilson, who finished with 21 points while tying for the team lead with seven rebounds. Graci Fairman would be the other Cardinal to hit double figures, finishing with 11 points, while Kenzie Dalton rounded things out with seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists on the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
