Fairmont, W. Va- The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (12-11), (7-8) knew that there would be little room for errors playing on the road against one of the Mountain East Conference's (MEC) top schools. The Cardinals started strong, but the Fairmont State Fighting Falcons simply played their game better and were able to hold on in the end for the 68-60 win. Kenzie Dalton finished just one assist shy of a triple-double, ending with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in a full 40 minutes of action.
The Cardinals were wanting to send a message to the other side, and in the first quarter at least, they achieved that feat by outscoring the Fighting Falcons 18-7. Graci Fairman knocked down a three-point shot off a pass from Emma Reynolds on their opening possession. A turnover allowed Fairmont to sink a jumper, but Elena Marin Dawid walked in for a layup to answer back. Following Dawid's basket, the Cardinals scorched the floor on the back of a 10-0 run for the next 3:46. Kenzie Dalton caused a turnover which gave Dawid another layup. Next, Reynolds and Emilia Sierra Lacosta recorded back-to-back field goals for an 11-4 lead at the 5:36 mark of the first. The run continued after the media timeout when Dalton sank two floating jump shots to extend their lead, 15-4. The Falcons finally responded with a single free throw, but Dalton drilled in a deep shot that came from Reynolds and after a two-for-two trip at the line for Fairmont, Wheeling was ahead 18-7 by the end of the first quarter.
The Fighting Falcons went down by nine after a mid-range jumper landed to open the second, but there were long breaks without scoring as Fairmont netted three more field goals to make it 18-15 with 6:14 remaining. Hillari Baker splashed a shot from behind the arc to give the Cardinals their first points of the quarter, but Fairmont was gaining fast, responding with two points right after. With under three minutes until halftime, Fairman added two points in between a field goal and another three-pointer from the Falcons, making it a one-point advantage for Wheeling, 23-22. Fairman had drawn a foul with 36 seconds remaining, and after making one of her two shots at the line, Dalton made a layup with four seconds left to give the Cards a 26-22 lead heading into the break.
Wheeling took the court feeling refreshed, and Fairman drained a shot from distance to show they were ready to go. However, Fairmont was also feeling ready, and they were about to prove it. Two made free throws by the Falcons sparked an 11-0 run over 2:40 that saw Fairmont take their first lead of the night since the opening minute of the first quarter, 33-29 with 5:53 left in the third. Lacosta came down with consecutive field goals to tie it up at 33, going into the media timeout. The Fighting Falcons went one-for-two at the line, which gave Dalton the chance to hit her jumper for a 35-34 lead, but unfortunately, this would be the last time the Cardinals were in front for the remainder of the contest. Following the field goal from Dalton, Fairmont went on another big run, this time with nine straight unanswered points over a span of two and a half minutes. Dalton broke the scoreless streak with a bucket, and then Amayah Maxwell knocked down her first points of the night with a three-pointer, making it 45-40 with 1:11 left. Two more shots at the line came with 50 seconds remaining and was followed up with a layup by Dawid, but Fairmont's shot ended the third with the Fighting Falcons on top, 49-42.
Dalton's layup in the paint kicked off the final period of play, but in two minutes, Fairmont had amassed eight points, which gave them a 57-44 advantage and forced the Cards to call a timeout. After the stoppage, Fairman and Dalton sank back-to-back three pointers that were answered by regular field goals by the Falcons, so Fairmont remained ahead by 11, 61-50 with a tad under six minutes left. Time ticked down as the Fairmont defense prevented Wheeling from inching any closer following the completion of a three-point play by the Falcons. Reynolds knew her team was down, and was determined to do anything she could to spark them, so she showed off her range with two three-pointers in a row, which cut the lead to eight, 64-56 with two minutes left, but Fairmont continued to smother any shots from the Cardinal offense. The Falcons ended the game shooting free throws and Wheeling was able to land two more field goals, one by Dawid and the other from Dalton at the very end. Wheeling was unable to complete the late comeback and fell to Fairmont 68-60.
Kenzie Dalton ended the night her second straight double-double, recording 20 points and 11 rebounds. She finished with nine assists, meaning she was one assist shy of her first triple-double of the season. Graci Fairman ended the night with 12 points, making half of her shots from the field and hitting three of her four attempts from behind the arc. Elena Marin Dawid and Emma Reynolds each finished with eight points and Emilia Sierra Lacosta finished with six.
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team returns to the McDonough Center on Saturday, February 14th, 2026, for a 2pm tip-off against the Frostburg State Bobcats.
