Wheeling, W. Va- The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (9-8), (4-5) have a date set with its biggest rival from the north, the West Liberty Hilltoppers tomorrow afternoon. The time of the contest has been moved from 2pm to 12pm because of the projected incoming winter storm. The Cardinals will roll into enemy territory with a two-game win streak after big wins against Glenville State and Salem. Each team will be playing for pride, but also for a win to advance themselves higher in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) standings.
From the start to finish, Wheeling was in control of this one. Despite Salem trailing by one at the end of the first quarter, 14-13, the Cardinals took its first double digit lead of the evening by halftime. From there, they kept Salem at bay and coasted to a 60-46 non-conference victory over the Tigers.
Layla Merriweather dazzled once again with her second consecutive game with 20+ points. Through two games, she is averaging 23.5 points and is shooting a .628 clip from the field. The sophomore has been a pleasant addition to the Cardinal's offense, having won two of the three games when she scored at least 15 points. With Merriweather emerging as a serious offensive threat, teams will find it troubling to slow the Cardinal offense down now, because they will have to not only keep their eye on the team's leading scorer, Kenzie Dalton, but also Merriweather.
Speaking of Dalton, she finished with 15 points against the Tigers. She is the centerpiece of this team, and the offense runs through her hands. Despite recording a mere two assists on Wednesday, she is able to draw defenders towards her to at least get the play started. Dalton has been a catalyst for the Cardinals all season long, averaging 5.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 steals a night. She is such a flexible player and can play any role the team needs her to. She typically leads the offense on a nightly basis, but she can also shift her focus to the other side of the court and lock it down defensively. Dalton's style of play is a major reason why the team remains the top scoring defense in the league and why teams are unable to get their attack going against them.
Emma Reynolds ended her evening against the Tigers in an efficient manner, making three of four shots from the field for six points. While that may not seem like much, she has been more selective with the shots she takes over the past two games, and it has paid off. Against Glenville State last week, she went two for three from the field and the same from deep, and that selectiveness allowed her to hit the game-winning three-pointer against the Lady Pioneers. When she is not shooting, she has been grabbing the boards. She set a new career-high with 11 rebounds against Salem. Because of her efforts, the Cardinals recorded 14 second chance points, and that shows that her or this team do not hang their heads when they miss shots, rather they keep looking for better opportunities.
Recently, Wheeling's depth scoring from its starting five has helped them stay in games and win them too. In the last two contests, all five players have recorded at least six points. It may not seem like a lot, but when two players are getting all the points, there is a likelihood of those players getting burned out by the time the post season comes around. Merriweather and Dalton may carry the bulk of the offense, but those points from Reynolds, Graci Fairman, and Emilia Sierra Lacosta pay off down the stretch. In order to win games, a team must be good defensively to limit the amount of points the other gets, but it also must put points on the board for themselves. With all five starters contributing, it becomes easier for Wheeling to keep up with its opposition, and it puts them in a place to secure the victory.
A Quick Trip Up 88
West Liberty's season has not been an admirable one. With its 5-12 record and a 2-8 in-conference record, the Hilltoppers sit ninth out of the 11 teams in the MEC. The Toppers are riding a six-game losing streak after falling to Point Park 73-68 on the 21st. Senior Anna Lucarelli and redshirt freshman Regan Vinskovich each netted 16 points with Vinskovich recording her second double-double of the season.
Even though the Toppers have not found a way to win a lot this season, their record is quite deceiving as they have players that can put points on the board. Lucarelli has finished with 10 or more points in 15 out of the 17 games played this season, Vinskovich has played in just five games and is averaging 15.6 points per game and makes .508 of her shots from the field, and redshirt sophomore Olivia Baker puts up just under 14 points a night. That is not even mentioning Bailee Smith, who leads the team with an average of 28.3 in three games. Unfortunately though, Smith has not been active since November 19th and is out with injury for the rest of her senior season.
Even though the Cardinals have won the previous four meetings, the Hilltoppers are 38-17 against them, with most of Topper's wins coming at home. Wheeling came out on top 74-55 on March 1st, 2025, with former Cardinals Rachel Wilson and Bryana Henderson doing most of the heavy lifting.
The Details
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team travels north on Route 88 to square off against the West Liberty Hilltoppers tomorrow, January 24th, 2026. Tip-off has been moved from 2pm and is now scheduled for 12pm inside the Academic Sports & Recreation Complex. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain East Digital Network HERE and Live Stats can be viewed HERE.
