Box Score BLUEFIELD, W.Va.---The Wheeling Jesuit men's basketball team traveled to Bluefield, W.Va. for a league contest against Bluefield State College on Thursday evening. The game was scheduled for 7:30 p.m., however, due to inclement weather and a 2-hour delay in team travel, tipoff did not occur until 9:45 p.m. The Cardinals rallied in the final minutes for a 60-56 victory.
 
Justin Fritts led the Cardinals' offense with 16 points, and Andre Harris followed with 12 points. Ben Siefert and Tim Goff scored eight points apiece, while Prati notched six points and a team-high eight rebounds. Recardo Gaddy and Darin Harris rounded out the scoring with five points each.
 
The first half of play featured four tied scores and three lead changes as the Cardinals only held the advantage twice, 2-0 and 18-16. The Big Blues led by as many as six points, 10-4 and 12-6, before the halfway point. At 10:13, WJU's Fritts tied the contest for the final time in the half, 22-22, with a layup, however, Bluefield State retaliated with a 10-2 scoring outburst for a 32-24 advantage with 2:55 remaining in the half. Goff and Prati scored back-to-back layups for the Cardinals to end the half as Bluefield held a 32-28 halftime lead.
 
After the break, Bluefield immediately pushed the lead to 10 points, 38-28, but a layup by Goff, a free throw and trifeta from Gaddy pulled the Cardinals within four points, 38-34. Wheeling Jesuit, again, fell behind by 10 points, 49-39, and Bluefield State continued to control the pace of play, 54-48. With 5:15 remaining in the game, Andre Harris buried two free throws, and Fritts stole the inbounds pass and recorded two points, sparking a 12-2 run.
 
The Big Blues responded with a layup, but Jesuit fired back with back-to-back strikes from Harris and Prati, tying the game 56-56 with 1:46 remaining in the contest. On the ensuing possession, BSC's shot missed the mark and Siefert grabbed the defensive rebound. With 49-seconds left on the clock, Fritts finished a high percentage shot in the lane to give the Cardinals' their first lead of the half at 58-56. Siefert intercepted a Bluefield pass as time was winding down and iced the game with two made free throws, 60-56.
 
Bluefield State was led by Treon Claiborne with 12 points, while Detterance Norwood and Avery Holliday followed with 11 and 10.
 
The Cardinals will travel to Buckhannon, W.Va. on Saturday, January 19 for a league contest against West Virginia Wesleyan College. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.