Wheeling, W. Va. – The season-opening homestand continued for the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (2-1, 0-0) on Wednesday night when they welcomed in Pitt-Johnstown to the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinals got off to a fast start and the defense would hold the rest of the way as Wheeling picked up a 62-54 win. It continued their string of early season success against the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and has them out to a 2-1 start through their first three games.
Pitt-Johnstown would win the opening tip and took just 30 seconds to get on the board with a jumper by Riley Childress. Wheeling would respond less than a minute late with a three from Ema Reynolds, but the Mountain Cats just kept coming, riding a 6-3 run over the first three minutes of play. Wheeling would break the run with a layup from senior Kenzie Dalton, and a three-ball by Emilia Sierra Lacosta quickly erased the deficit and gave Wheeling an 8-6 lead heading into the media timeout. Defense would step up over the next three minutes with neither team getting on the board. UPJ would break the cold string with a Childress jumper and it would be back and forth the rest of the quarter. Wheeling would build a 13-8 advantage thanks to a three from Layla Merriweather, but the Mountain Cats battled back to tie things at 14-14 by quarter's end.
The Cardinals quickly took the lead back as the new quarter started, with Sierra Lacosta hitting a jumper, and starting a Cardinal run. After a Pitt-Johnstown response, the Cardinals would carry the momentum of a 7-2 run, where Sierra Lacosta accounted for three of the seven points. The Mountain Cats would hit a jumper to break the run, and once again both defenses would control the next two minute stretch. With the Cardinals holding a 2-18 lead, Emma Reynolds came out of the media timeout with a three that created some breathing room for the Cardinals at 24-18. A 4-0 Pitt-Johnstown run would get them within two points of the Cardinals, but Elena Marin Dawid would break the run with a layup with just 1:38 to go before the half. She would add a pair of free throws before Sierra Lacosta finished things out with a three, and the Cardinals went into the half with a 33-24 advantage.
As the Cardinals came out of the locker room, they would keep their success going after conceding the first points of the half to Pitt-Johnstown. Emma Reynolds would hit a layup to get things started and scored the first four Cardinal points of the half. Reynolds was a perfect 4-4 from the floor and 2-2 from three-point range as she helped the Cardinals build their lead. Wheeling would get up by as much as 39-28 before the Mountain Cats worked their way back into the game. Sophia Ott would hit a layup at the 5:53 mark that would help fuel their comeback. Pitt-Johnstown would score five straight points and outscored the Cardinals 12-8 down the final four minute of stretch of the quarter. With 10 minutes to play, Wheeling was holding a 47-40 lead and would look to keep that over the final 10 minutes.
The Mountain Cats would continue the run into the fourth quarter, scoring the first four points and getting to within one point of Wheeling at 47-46. The Cardinals were looking for a big shot, and would get it from Sierra Lacosta, after a block on the Cardinal's first attempt. They would get the ball back in Sierra Lacosta's hand and she would come through with a three to open the scoring back to 50-46. The two teams would trade the next four free throws and with 6:27 to play, the score would sit at 52-48 in favor of Wheeling. The next three minutes would see both teams held off the board, until Sierra Lacosta once again found the net at the 3:02 mark. It would send the Cardinals on an 8-4 run that would seal the deal, with Dalton accounting for four of those eight points. Wheeling would finish it up from the free throw line, with Graci Fairman hitting a pair of shots with 16 seconds to go, and Wheeling would go on to win 62-54.
For the third game in a row, it was senior Kenzie Dalton leading the way for the Cardinals with 18 points in the effort. She would tie for the team lead with seven rebounds and added a team-best six assists as she continues to lead the Cardinals through their early season non-conference schedule. The two other Cardinals to get to the double-digit mark were Emilia Sierra Lacosta and Emma Reynolds, who each finished with 14 points on the night. Reynolds would tie for the team lead with seven assists, while holding a +/- of 11 throughout the night, while Sierra Lacosta went a team-best 3-7 from three-point range. The Cardinal defense also continued to play a big role on the night, holding the Mountain Lions to 52 points, marking their second straight sub-60 points allowed game in their first three.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to action on Sunday, November 23rd, when they host Washington Adventist University with tip-off at 2 PM.
