Wheeling, W.Va- Thanksgiving is now in the past, but the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (3-2), (0-0) must be feeling thankful for the early part of the season. It amassed a competitive non-conference stretch that saw the Cards string together three wins in a row, and the team sits atop the Mountain East Conference (MEC) in many defensive categories. The Cardinals will get their first taste of MEC action this season when they take on the Pioneers of Point Park tomorrow evening.
As stated above, Wheeling earned themselves a three-game, non-conference win streak over Edinboro, Pitt-Johnstown, and Washington Adventist. However, the good fortune ended in its last bout against Ohio-Dominican. The Panthers knocked off the Cardinals 55-43 in a game where standout senior Kenzie Dalton led the floor with 18 points and three steals. The break in play has allowed the Cardinals to rest, recover, and regroup for its next opponent, and it is imperative to start strong with a win in this conference.
Dalton needs no introduction. She is the team's go-to for offense as she leads the team with 89 points, has an impressive field goal percentage of .493, and is dominating the passing game with a conference-leading 31 assists. Last year's MEC Defensive Player of the Year winner continues to pester the opponent's gameplan with 15 total steals and is currently averaging 3.0 per game. The intensity and pace she plays with is seldom matched by the opposition, and no one has found a way to stop her.
Wheeling may be a young team, but each player is eager to contribute. Emilia Sierra Lacosta is storming out of the gate with a four-game stretch recording of 10 or more points, including her first career double-double against Washington Adventist University with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Emma Reynolds sits second on the team with 32 rebounds and has been extremely efficient with her shot selection. She is shooting a hair under 60% from the field and is six of 11 from three-point land as a forward.
The Cardinals have been one of the most suffocating teams to play against in the Mountain East Conference. Wheeling has given up the fewest points on average at 54.3 per game and leads the conference with a 4.2 scoring margin. Additionally, the Cardinals have a strict policy regarding the three-point line as its opponents have only netted 11 of 56 attempts for an opponent three-point shooting percentage of .196, which is the best in the conference.
The Matchup
After the MEC announced that Point Park would join the conference last year, the Pioneers finished with 6-14 in-conference record. The Pioneers started the season with two close wins. The first over Shippensburg 56-50 and the other to Pitt-Johnstown 73-68 overtime. Point Park had a difficult time with the Shepherd as they fell 74-52. Similarly to Wheeling, the upcoming clash will result in the first MEC game of the season for both institutions.
Junior Elizabeth Boyd will surely be a player for the Cardinals to include in the scouting report. Boyd leads the Pioneers with 39 points, averages 13.0 PPG, and she has a lethal shot from the field at .571. Alexis Giles should be another player that should be identified and covered. While the Cardinals are stingy from deep, Giles leads Point Park with a .400 percentage from range.
Wheeling has only matched up against Point Park twice and the Cardinals secured the win in both contests with the last one ending 64-43 on February 26th. Sierra Lacosta led the floor with 19 points while former Cardinal Bryana Henderson with 17.
The Details
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team opens up conference play against the Point Park Pioneers tomorrow at 5:30pm inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain East Digital Network HERE and LiveStats will be available HERE.
