Box Score
WHEELING, W. Va. – The Wheeling Jesuit men's basketball team kicked off their season at home on Monday against what could be one of the best teams they play all season with the #11 Findlay Oilers coming to town. Two spells of cold shooting would undo the Cards in their debut, dropping the non-conference matchup 97-66.
The Cardinals are now 0-1 heading into their first Mountain East Conference game on the road at West Virginia State on Saturday, November 23rd. WJU is picked to finish 3rd in the Mountain East in its first year.
The Cardinals came out firing in the first half, keeping pace with Findlay's powerful inside game. In the opening minutes, the Cardinals were hot, going 5-7 from behind the arc. Justin Fritts led all Cardinals in the first half with 11 points; going 4-12 in field goals and 3-7 from behind the three-point line.
Findlay went on a tear late in the first half, taking off on a 19-0 run to pull away from the Cardinals. The Oilers continued to punish the cold-shooting Cardinals into halftime, holding a 50-32 lead at the break.
The second half was a story of too little, too late as the Cardinals awoke from their shooting slump, but the Oilers 58% from the field percentage was too much for the Cardinals to overcome.
"We have got a lot of work to do, and Findlay's experience showed tonight. They just executed better than us," said WJU head coach Danny Sancomb "We need to do a better job following the game plan, and we will with experience. I was proud of the guys for fighting hard in the second half."
Leading in the stats column for WJU was Eric Siefert, the 6'-4" sophomore guard from Reynoldsburg, Ohio shot 6-14 from the field for 14 points, with six rebounds and eight assists. Another sophomore from Ohio, Justin Fritts, followed close behind with 13 points, six rebounds and 3 assists.
The Cardinals return home next Monday, November 25th when they will face the University of Charleston in Mountain East Play. Tip-off is set for 7:30.
