Wheeling, W.Va- The loss against Fairmont State marked the third consecutive loss for the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (6-7), (2-4) and is the second loss in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play during that span. The Cardinals have the ability to turn their fortune around tomorrow afternoon when they face off against a young Frostburg State team, but Wheeling will need to find a way to strike a balance between beingthe best scoring defense in the conference and setting themselves up for success on offense.
Fairmont State struck hard and fast early on and would hold onto the lead for the duration of the contest. The Cardinals went down 39-26 at halftime, but they would perform much better in the second half. Wheelingwent on two large runs, and with that, they worked their way back into the game to only trailed by two, but the Falcons shot free throws to end the hopes of a comeback and would leave the Cardinals with their third straight loss, 76-67.
Kenzie Dalton ended the game leading the Cardinals with 19 points, marking her fourth consecutive double-digit point performance. While she was unable to lead her team to a victory, Dalton has been exceptional this season. She has a comfortable cushion atop the MEC with 74 assists and 40 steals, and she sits among the top 10 with an average of 15.2 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and a .478 field goal percentage. Apart from three games, Dalton has been as consistent as a player of her caliber should be; the team just has not been able to get the desired results.
Speaking of consistency, Emilia Sierra Lacosta has been a joy to watch in her second year. For her, the term "sophomore slump" does not exist as she has recorded 10 or more points in 12 of the 13 games played this season. Additionally, she just put up her second double-double of the season against Fairmont State with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Her last one came on November 23rd against Washington Adventist when she recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds. It is no surprise that she sits right behind Dalton as fourth in MEC scoring with how well she has helped lead the offense.
When looking at the box score, it is hard to point to a particular stat and say, "that's the reason they lost." Simply put: Fairmont was the better team this time. The Falcons took advantage of the opportunities they had and cashed in on them. The MEC is a tough conference to be in and having to play against arguably the two best teams out of the holiday break is a large ask for any team. The road will not get much easier as they must travel to compete against Frostburg tomorrow and after that is Glenville State, the top team in the MEC currently. Wheeling remains the best scoring defense in the conference, but it must start converting its offensive opportunities if they want to break out of this slump.
Flying Over Frostburg
The Bobcats made a run to the semifinals in last year's MEC tournament on the back of Emilee Weakly, but now that she has graduated and moved on, the team is young and still trying to figure themselves out. They are by no means an easy challenge as they are currently riding a three-game win streak and coming off a 65-60 win over the Hilltoppers on Wednesday night. Junior Jenna Muha registered a point per minute, 20 points in 20 minutes, and made six of her 11 attempts from the field to help stave off a West Liberty comeback. Julie Spinelli, the team's leading scorer, put up 14 points. Her shooting from the field may not have been great, but she knocked down nine of 10 free throws and happens to be a top three free throw shooter in the conference, making nearly 87% of her trips to the charity stripe.
Wheeling has been the better team historically with a 9-3 record against Frostburg State. However, the Bobcats defended their home court in the last meeting by a score of 61-55. Former Cardinal Rachel Wilson recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds while Kenzie Dalton put up 12 points and had five steals.
The Details
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team hits the road to take on the Frostburg State Bobcats tomorrow, January 10th, 2025, with tip-off scheduled for 2pm. The game will be live streamed on the Mountain East Digital Network HERE and Live Stats will be available to view HERE.
