Wheeling, W. Va. - Wednesday night was the start of a big stretch of games for the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (11-8, 7-4) as they earned a big win over The University of Charleston. On Saturday, that big stretch of games continues as the team heads to Institute, West Virginia to take on West Virginia State with tip-off at 2 PM. It is the second of a three-game stretch where the Cardinals are playing teams ahead of them in the standings as they look to continue their battle for one of the top six spots and a first round bye in the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.
The Cardinals kicked off this stretch of games on Wednesday night when they welcomed the Golden Eagles from Charleston to Wheeling. The first quarter would see both teams trying to find their footing, but the Cardinal's 60% mark from the floor was enough to give them a 13-10 lead after 10 minutes. However, the script would be flipped to end the half, as Charleston put up a game-high 22 points and went into the locker room with a 32-24 advantage. After making some adjustments at halftime, the strong Cardinal defense that has been present over the last two games went to work. Wheeling held Charleston to just a 29.1% mark from the floor over the final 10 minutes, holding them to just 48 points, as the team finished out the 56-48 victory to jump the Golden Eagles in the standings.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Kristel Rattasepp, who set a new career-high with 20 points in the effort. She finished 7-14 (50%) from the floor, including a 3-6 mark from beyond the arc. Rattasepp has had a strong showing during her freshman season, averaging 11.0 points per game, but has also been a big contributor on the defensive end. Head Coach Anna Kowalska has been putting her on the fastest player from the opposition, and she has been able to limit their offensive opportunities. Of her 20 points on the day, 12 of those came during the first half as she was able to keep the Cardinals in the game. It was her first double digit performance since putting up 12 points against Concord on January 18th, and she looks to continue to be a big contributor for the team down the stretch.
Behind Rattasepp was Rachel Wilson, who continued her strong showing in the 2025 portion of the schedule with a 13-point effort. It was the third straight game where Wilson has hit double digits, and the seventh time in the past eight games that she has hit the mark. She has raised her season scoring average to 11.4 points per game, and currently sits as the Cardinal's leader in PPG this season, while maintaining her average of 9.3 REB/G. Bryana Henderson was the final Cardinal to reach double figures on the day, but it was her work on the defensive end that won the day. She led the team with three steals in the effort , marking her third straight three-steal effort and the fifth straight game where the graduate student has finished with at least one steal on the day.
While their focus remains grabbing one of the top six spots to earn a first round bye in the MEC Tournament, the Cardinals are close to officially cementing their spot in the tournament. With the win on Wednesday, the Cardinals magic number dropped to six, meaning any combination of six Wheeling wins or six losses by Davis & Elkins will clinch the Cardinals a spot in the MEC Tournament. Wheeling's main focus right now is their current stretch where three of their next four opponents occupy spots above them in the conference standings. With the Cardinal defense clicking on all cylinders down the stretch, they look to climb the ladder and force their way towards the top of the conference.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 37th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 19-17. Throughout the series it has been the home team that has had the advantage, with Wheeling going 10-7 at home while West Virginia State has gone 9-8 on their home floor. The recent rivalry between the two teams has been intense, with the teams splitting each of the last five meetings dating back to the season series finale during the 2021-2022 season.
Saturday will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Wheeling winning a tight 63-62 matchup earlier in the year. The Cardinals were led by Kristel Rattasepp, who finished with 14 points, while shooting 5-9 (55.5%) from the floor. Emilia Sierra Lacosta was the other Cardinal to hit double figures on the day, while Kaylee Marvin led the way with nine rebounds and Kenzie Dalton had a team-high five assists.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Walker Convocation Center on the campus of West Virginia State. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
