Wheeling, W. Va. - As they entered Wednesday night's battle with Concord, one win is all the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (13-11, 10-7) needed just one win to clinch their spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament. It was a back and forth battle inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, but the Cardinals were able to get it done picking up a 77-65 win over the Mountain Lions. The Cardinals had two 21 point scorers on the night, as they broke what was a three-way tie for fourth in the conference.
Concord would get on the board first on their second possession of the game, but the Cardinal's offense responded with a Rachel Wilson layup. The next five minutes would feature the teams jockeying for position, and with 5:43 to go in the quarter, it was the Cardinals that had the slight 8-7 advantage. Kenzie Dalton has been the spark for the team as of late, and got things going once again with a three-ball. It sent the Cardinals on a 10-0 run that saw them build an 18-9 advantage with 3:50 to play in the quarter. Concord would get to the free throw line to break the run, with Saniya Morris shooting a pair of free throws and the Mountain Lions began to battle back. They would score four of the next five points to get back within six points, and the teams traded threes to end the quarter with the Cardinals leading 22-16.
Wheeling would keep the momentum going into the second quarter, with Wilson getting them on the board once again to start the quarter. Those two points were the only two scored over the next three minutes, when Concord broke the run with a layup. Emilia Sierra Lacosta added a three-pointer, but the Mountain Lions hit two of their own and it was a three-point game with 6:50 to go. It would be a battle of runs down the stretch, with Wheeling hitting a 7-2 run following the media timeout that was immediately answered with a 5-0 run from Concord. They battled back to make it a 34-31 game with 2:39 to go before the half and it would remain a three-point game with 1:22 to go. In the final minute, Kristel Rattasepp would hit a big three for the Cardinals, but Concord's Kennedy Scales followed with one of her own and the Cardinals went into the half up 41-38.
As the teams broke from the locker room, Concord would get it to within one on a jumper from Alexis Frazier, but the three ball was back on full display from Emilia Sierra Lacosta. Concord remained within striking distance, keeping it a two-point game, and Dalton would lay one in to push the lead to 46-42 with 7:55 to go in the quarter. Both defenses were strong over the next two minutes, with the teams combining for just 11 points during the run, and by the media timeout it was a 50-48 game. Concord evened the stakes at 50-50 with 4:33 to play, but Layla Merriweather would get the Cardinals back in front with a pair of free throws. It sent the Cardinals on an 11-0 run that would last the next four minutes, with Dalton scoring five of the 11 points. Concord would break the run before the quarter ended, but the Cardinals would lead 61-53 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Concord would break the run as the fourth quarter began, getting a layup from Imani Hickman, and answered with the first four points of the new quarter. Dalton would break the short run with a free throw and Wilson led the team on what was a 7-0 run that extended their advantage to 68-57. Rattasepp, who ended the run added another jumper to get the Cardinals to 70 points and extend their lead to 11. The Cardinals were looking for one more big shot and they got it from Dalton, who hit a three that officially put the game out of reach at 73-61. The Cardinals would finish things out with a pair of Wilson free throws and a Rattasepp layup that brought the game to its final score of 77-65.
The Cardinals were led by the duo of Kenzie Dalton and Rachel Wilson, who each scored 21 points on the day. Both were efficient on the day, with Dalton going 8-9 (88.9%) from the floor while Wilson finished 8-10 (80%). The Cardinals would have two other players hit double figures on the night, with Kristel Rattasepp and Emilia Sierra Lacosta each adding 12 points on the night. On the defensive end, Wilson would lead the way with nine rebounds while Dalton led the passing game with five assists. Dalton would also rue for the team lead with two steals, matching the mark set by Bryana Henderson.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to action on Saturday, February 22nd, when they hit the road to face Glenville State with tip-off at 2 PM.
