Wheeling, W. Va. – The Mountain East Conference (MEC) regular season comes to an end on Saturday with one of the top rivalries in the conference. The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (16-11, 12-7) makes their way up to the hilltop for the final regular season edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" with tip-off at 2 PM. The Cardinals are battling for seeding in the 2025 MEC Women's Basketball Tournament, with a win setting them up for a chance to be as high as the #3 seed in this year's tournament field.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up the home portion of their 2024-2025 schedule when they welcomed Point Park to the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Defense ruled things early, as the Cardinals were held to just a 33.33% mark from the floor over the first 10 minutes, and the Pioneers would jump out to a 14-10 lead. However, as the game went on, the Cardinals got more and more efficient, shooting 40% or better from the floor over each of the final three quarters. The Wheeling defense kept Point Park to single digits in the second and by halftime had built a 27-22 lead. The Cardinals put together their best shooting of the night coming out of the half, making just over 53% of their shots and totaling 21 points in the third. It would be enough to seal the deal as the Cardinals finished with a 16-point fourth quarter effort on their way to a 64-43 win that helped the clinch their first-round bye.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Emilia Sierra Lacosta, who set a career-high with 22 points in the contest. She was efficient from the floor, going 10-18 (55.5%), and added a 2-3 mark from three-point range. It was the fourth time this season that Sierra Lacosta has gone over the 15-point mark, and the first time that she has eclipsed 20 points on the season, After facing a stretch of single-digit performances in the middle of February, Sierra Lacosta has come back strong scoring double figures in two of her last three games. She sits just on the cusp of averaging double digit points per game, sitting at 9.6 for the season, while holding the team's highest shooting percentage among eligible players. Sierra Lacosta will be one of the players that the Cardinals lean on this postseason as she looks to hit her stride on the court.
It was also a big game for graduate student Bryana Henderson, who finished with 17 points on the night while being the Cardinal's most efficient shooter. She finished with 17 points on the night and went 55.5% (5-9) from the floor while leading the team with a 3-6 (50%) mark from three-point range. Henderson reached double digits for the first time since the February 12th game against Fairmont State and is looking to peak at the right time heading into the tournament. On the defensive end, it was Rachel Wilson headlining the Cardinal's effort, leading the way with 10 rebounds. She was one point off of a double-double, and reached double figure rebounds for the first time since the February 15th game against Frostburg State, she looks to keep the success going as they head towards the tournament.
Although they already have both their ticket punched for the tournament and a first round bye locked down, the Cardinals still have plenty to play for in Saturday's matchup. First, the Cardinals are looking to sweep the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" and getting the all-sport season series back to even to start the day. However, the Cardinals are still fighting for seeding in the tournament, with the team being able to finish anywhere from the #3 seed to the #6 seed. The Cardinals can lock down the #3 seed with a win over West Liberty as well as a Frostburg State loss to Fairmont State on Saturday. If the Cardinals are able to grab the #3 seed, they will play in the 2:30 PM game on Thursday, March 6th, where they will serve as the home team in the Quarterfinal round of the MEC Tournament. The Cardinals look to take care of business and create their path to an MEC Championship.
The Matchup
"The Battle for Wheeling" is commencing its 55th all-time meeting between Wheeling and West Liberty, with the Hilltoppers leading the all-time series at 38-16. West Liberty has had the advantage inside the ASRC, with Wheeling going 3-19 compared to an 11-12 record when the teams meet in the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Lately, it has been the Cardinals who have been the victors, winning four of the last fine meetings between the two teams in what has been a defensive series.
Their last meeting came on January 25th, 2025, in a game the Cardinals won 67-51 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Wheeling was led by Rachel Wilson in the game, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead both sides of the ball. Kenzie Dalton added 14 points and tied her career-high with six steals, while Layla Merriweather put up 10 points to round out the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Academic Sports & Recreation Complex on the campus of West Liberty University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
