Wheeling, W. Va- The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team (13-11), (8-8), hosted the Frostburg State Bobcats for a Valentine's Day tilt that saw the Cardinals put on a defensive clinic and win 57-48. Wheeling's offense exploded in the third quarter, outpacing FSU 21-16, and limiting the Mountain East Conference's (MEC) second-highest three-point shooting team to just two deep balls for the entirety of the contest.
Kenzie Dalton is coming off her third straight double-double finish when she recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Bobcats. The Marietta, OH product has played extremely well all season long. She is among the top 15 in Division II in assists (129), assists per game (5.4), steals (78), steals per game (3.25), and she averages the greatest number of minutes out of all players in the country at 39.34 per game. In the league, Dalton averages 16.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game while making 44.3% of her shots from the field and 79.5% of her free throw attempts.
Graci Fairman has been getting more consistent, recording double-digit point totals in the past two games against Fairmont and Frostburg. The senior from Pittsburgh, PA has recorded 25 points, has made just under 53.0% of her attempts from the field and drained 60.0% from behind the arc. Emma Reynolds has also gotten steadier, notching eight points in each of the last three contests. While she most likely wished to contribute more, the freshman has added 15 rebounds across those three games and six assists. Depth scoring will become increasingly important as the Cardinals enter the final two weeks.
Wheeling has become to be known as a "second half" team, meaning that when they come out of the locker room, they tend to be a better team offensively compared to when the game starts. This was proved once again on Saturday as the Cardinals made 57.1% and 41.6% of their shots in the third and fourth quarter respectively to help them secure the home court win. On the contrary, defense tends to be the focus for this team at the start of the game, holding Frostburg State to 15 points across the first 20 minutes of competition. This may not be the trend for every single game, but overall, this is how the Cardinals operate, and by no means is it a bad thing. When the Cardinals lock down their opponents in the first half, they allow themselves a chance to spring forward in the second and try to hold onto the lead.
Wheeling is sixth in the conference after their win over the Bobcats. However, the next opponent is a lot tougher and does many things right on the offensive side of the ball.
The Lion Rests atop the Mountain
The Concord Mountain Lions (17-7), (12-4), are third in the MEC and are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, having won their last five games. In that stretch, the Mountain Lions toppled two of the conference's elite programs, Fairmont State by a score of 89-58, and West Virginia Wesleyan, 82-75. The Mountain Lions extended their streak to five after a 78-54 road win against D&E. Five players ended in double-digit figures, including junior guard Alexis Frazee and sophomore guard Kenyah Stubbs.
Senior forward Abbie Smith led the offense with 22 points and 21 rebounds after sinking 9-12 from the field against the Senators. Her performances against Fairmont, Wesleyan, and D&E earned her the MEC Women's Basketball Player of the Week. The Little Hocking, Ohio native averaged 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Smith ranks 17th in Division II with a 56.2% field goal percentage and first in the MEC with nearly an 86% free throw percentage. Smith is the only player in the MEC that averages a double-double, scoring 18.3 points per game and recording 10.7 rebounds per game.
In the all-time series, Wheeling is 26-15 against Concord since 2000. However, the Mountain Lions were victorious in the last outing, picking up a 66-54 win inside the McDonough Center on January 14th. Stubbs finished with 19 points and Smith ended with 14 for Concord. Layla Merriweather and Dalton each ended with 17 points.
The Details
The Wheeling University Women's Basketball team hits the road to take on the Concord Mountain Lions tomorrow, February 18th. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm inside the Carter Center in Athens, W.V. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain East Digital Network HERE and Live Stats will be available HERE.
