Wheeling, W.Va- Generally, when a team shoots around 30%-40% from the field, it is seen as a good thing, regardless of whether that is just in a single quarter or is the team's overall percentage. However, what happens when a team shoots over that? Then that team should win pretty convincingly, right? Well, that would be right as the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (4-2), (1-0) shot 73.3% from the field and 75% from behind the arc in the third quarter to take down the Point Park Pioneers 67-53 in each team's first Mountain East Conference (MEC) game of the season.
Layla Merriweather started the game hot, sinking the first nine points for the Cardinals. The Pioneers would reel it back in to tie it up at nine a side with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter. Little did they know; another sophomore was about to catch fire. Emilia Sierra Lacosta would net nine points over the following three minutes to make it 18-16. The first quarter ended with a successful snatch-and-score by Kenzie Dalton for a 23-17 Cardinal lead.
The Cardinals had plans to continue building onto their lead, however, the Pioneers had other plans. After a jumper from Camille Fultz 13 seconds in and a good free throw by Fatim Ndow Sarr, it was a one possession game with 8:49 left in the quarter. The clock ticked down to 5:42 before the next basket was scored by Fultz. Then, 27 seconds later, Elizabeth Boyd made it 24-23 to put Point Park in front for the first time in the contest. The teams traded points until a three-point buzzer-beater was drained by Point Park to signal halftime. The Pioneers carried the 30-27 lead and momentum into the locker room.
With only four points scored and a field goal percentage of 15% in the second quarter, head coach Ella Skenes was tasked to make some adjustments. The result: Wheeling out scoring Point Park by 22, the team making 11-15 (73.3%) from the field and going 6-8 (75%) from deep in the third quarter alone. Sierra-Lacosta gave the Cardinals the 32-30 lead two minutes into the quarter, and they never looked back after that. Emma Reynolds hit a three to push the advantage to five, and a layup from Dalton increased it to seven with 6:18 remaining. A barrage of threes by Lacosta, Reynolds, and Dalton suddenly showed the Cardinals ahead by 16 with four minutes remaining in the third. The Pioneers did their best to put points on the board, but the Cardinal's offense simply did not stop. Merriweather added yet another three-pointer to make it 51-34, and her free throws would place the Cardinals ahead by 21, their largest lead of the night, with 18 seconds remaining. However, the Pioneers made a layup to close the third quarter with Wheeling ahead 57-38.
The fourth quarter opened with the Pioneers making a small dent into the large margin with some made free throws, but Dalton touched the ball off the glass perfectly to make it 61-41 with 7:14 left to play. Point Park proceeded to make their own momentum shortly after with a deep ball from Lucia Hervia, which sparked a 9-0 run over the next three and a half minutes. Lacosta would put any hope of a crazy comeback out of reach with two jumpers, making it 65-50 with two minutes left in the game. Elena Marin Dawid sunk the final shot to cap off a dominating 67-53 victory for the Cardinals in their first conference game of the season.
Four of the five starters for the Cardinals recorded double digit points with Emilia Sierra Lacosta leading the team and floor with 19 points and contributed seven rebounds. Kenzie Dalton finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and went 8-14 (57.1%) from the field to be deemed the most efficient shooter on the floor. Layla Merriweather registered 14 points and six rebounds to set a new season-high for herself in both categories. Freshman Emma Reynolds ended with 13 points and led the Cardinals with eight rebounds.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team matches up against Salem University on Saturday, December 6th at 2pm in Salem, W.V.
