Charleston, W. Va- The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team knew that their opponent, the Charleston Golden Eagles, played a similar defensive style to them. With each team playing to their strengths, they fought one another to the very end. However, it would be the Golden Eagles that came out on top 67-64 over the Cardinals. Emilia Sierra Lacosta headlined the offense with 21 points after making 7-12 from the field.  

Wheeling got off on the right foot when Emilia Sierra Lacosta drilled in a three-pointer, and Emma Reynolds laid a shot off the glass for an early 5-0 lead. Reynolds kept the Cards in front with four more points, and Lacosta drove in for a layup, and at the media timeout, the Cardinals had an 11-4 lead over the Golden Eagles. UC clawed their way back rather quickly and closed out the opening frame on a 14-1 run, and were now up 18-12. 

Elena Marin Dawid opened the second with a shot from distance to lift the Cardinals' spirits. Following a three-pointer from Charleston, Hillari Baker responded immediately with back-to-back bombs, and after she was fouled attempting to land a third, she made all three shots at the free throw line to tie the game at 24 with 5:18 remaining in the second quarter. Coming out of the final media stoppage of the half, the defenses from both sides made plenty of stops, until Kenzie Dalton dropped in a floater to give the Cardinals a brief 26-24 advantage. However, five points right after Dalton's shots gave UC the lead again. With a 1:20 remaining, Amyah Maxwell received a pass from Baker, and her shot made it a one-point game, but a Golden Eagles' layup allowed them to bring a 31-28 lead into the break. 

After halftime, Charleston was looking to separate themselves from Wheeling. They would do just that as UC only allowed the Cardinals to score one field goal in the third quarter. Dawid once again opened the scoring, but this time, it was with a layup. A pair of free throws from Graci Fairman separated two ranged attacks from the Golden Eagles. Then, another pair of Cardinal free throws by Dalton came between consecutive Charleston lay ins to make it 41-34 with 5:49 remaining in the third. Lacosta made it a two-possession game by making her throws at the line, but Charleston pushed the margin to eight with another bank shot off the window. Maxwell's one for two trip ended the third with the Golden Eagles on top, 46-37.  

For the fourth time, the Cardinals started the scoring off. Lacosta drove the ball into the paint for a tough two to send the message that they were not going to give up that easily. A frenzy of points took place within the span of roughly two minutes, which saw Reynolds and Lacosta showing off their accuracy from afar to make it a six-point game, 53-47 at the 6:47 mark. The final media timeout came and went, and it was all gas from both sides. A steal by Lacosta set Maxwell up for a timely three-pointer to cut the lead down to three. Lacosta remained composed at the line to make both of her shots to bring the Cardinals to within one, 53-52 with 4:47 left to play. UC completed a three-point play, but Dawid's three-pointer pulled the Cards back to within one. Lacosta drove into the lane and went up for a shot. While shooting, she was fouled, yet the ball still fell into the hoop, and after she converted the shot after, Wheeling was back on top, 58-56 with three and a half left.  

The UC crowd went wild when a shot behind the arc by the home squad went in to give the Golden Eagles the one-point advantage, but it was tied back up at 62 after Dawid's two free throws fell in. With just one minute to play, UC went one for two at the line which gave Fairman the opportunity to take the lead with a jumper inside the paint, 64-63. Charleston's Paris Stokes made good on a layup to put one point between the Cardinals and Golden Eagles. With only seven seconds left, Stokes was fouled, and she made both of her shots at the line, which would be the final points of the game, meaning the Cardinals had fallen to the Golden Eagles 67-64. 

Emilia Sierra Lacosta led the Cardinal offense by making 58.3% (7-12) of her shots from the field and converting all five of her free throws for 21 points. Elena Marin Dawid and Emma Reynolds finished with 10 points,Hillari Baker ended with nine points and six rebounds, and Amyah Maxwell registered six points. Kenzie Dalton recorded four points but led the team with 11 rebounds and three steals.  

The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to the McDonough Center on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, for a 2pm tipoff against the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets.  

Charleston, W. Va- The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team knew that their opponent, the Charleston Golden Eagles, played a similar defensive style to them. With each team playing to their strengths, they fought one another to the very end. However, it would be the Golden Eagles that came out on top 67-64 over the Cardinals. Emilia Sierra Lacosta headlined the offense with 21 points after making 7-12 from the field.  

Wheeling got off on the right foot when Emilia Sierra Lacosta drilled in a three-pointer, and Emma Reynolds laid a shot off the glass for an early 5-0 lead. Reynolds kept the Cards in front with four more points, and Lacosta drove in for a layup, and at the media timeout, the Cardinals had an 11-4 lead over the Golden Eagles. UC clawed their way back rather quickly and closed out the opening frame on a 14-1 run, and were now up 18-12. 

Elena Marin Dawid opened the second with a shot from distance to lift the Cardinals' spirits. Following a three-pointer from Charleston, Hillari Baker responded immediately with back-to-back bombs, and after she was fouled attempting to land a third, she made all three shots at the free throw line to tie the game at 24 with 5:18 remaining in the second quarter. Coming out of the final media stoppage of the half, the defenses from both sides made plenty of stops, until Kenzie Dalton dropped in a floater to give the Cardinals a brief 26-24 advantage. However, five points right after Dalton's shots gave UC the lead again. With a 1:20 remaining, Amyah Maxwell received a pass from Baker, and her shot made it a one-point game, but a Golden Eagles' layup allowed them to bring a 31-28 lead into the break. 

After halftime, Charleston was looking to separate themselves from Wheeling. They would do just that as UC only allowed the Cardinals to score one field goal in the third quarter. Dawid once again opened the scoring, but this time, it was with a layup. A pair of free throws from Graci Fairman separated two ranged attacks from the Golden Eagles. Then, another pair of Cardinal free throws by Dalton came between consecutive Charleston lay ins to make it 41-34 with 5:49 remaining in the third. Lacosta made it a two-possession game by making her throws at the line, but Charleston pushed the margin to eight with another bank shot off the window. Maxwell's one for two trip ended the third with the Golden Eagles on top, 46-37.  

For the fourth time, the Cardinals started the scoring off. Lacosta drove the ball into the paint for a tough two to send the message that they were not going to give up that easily. A frenzy of points took place within the span of roughly two minutes, which saw Reynolds and Lacosta showing off their accuracy from afar to make it a six-point game, 53-47 at the 6:47 mark. The final media timeout came and went, and it was all gas from both sides. A steal by Lacosta set Maxwell up for a timely three-pointer to cut the lead down to three. Lacosta remained composed at the line to make both of her shots to bring the Cardinals to within one, 53-52 with 4:47 left to play. UC completed a three-point play, but Dawid's three-pointer pulled the Cards back to within one. Lacosta drove into the lane and went up for a shot. While shooting, she was fouled, yet the ball still fell into the hoop, and after she converted the shot after, Wheeling was back on top, 58-56 with three and a half left.  

The UC crowd went wild when a shot behind the arc by the home squad went in to give the Golden Eagles the one-point advantage, but it was tied back up at 62 after Dawid's two free throws fell in. With just one minute to play, UC went one for two at the line which gave Fairman the opportunity to take the lead with a jumper inside the paint, 64-63. Charleston's Paris Stokes made good on a layup to put one point between the Cardinals and Golden Eagles. With only seven seconds left, Stokes was fouled, and she made both of her shots at the line, which would be the final points of the game, meaning the Cardinals had fallen to the Golden Eagles 67-64. 

Emilia Sierra Lacosta led the Cardinal offense by making 58.3% (7-12) of her shots from the field and converting all five of her free throws for 21 points. Elena Marin Dawid and Emma Reynolds finished with 10 points,Hillari Baker ended with nine points and six rebounds, and Amyah Maxwell registered six points. Kenzie Dalton recorded four points but led the team with 11 rebounds and three steals.  

The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to the McDonough Center on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, for a 2pm tipoff against the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets.