Box Score CHARLESTON, W.Va.---The Wheeling Jesuit men's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of the WVIAC Men's Basketball Tournament after defeating the No. 5 seeded University of Charleston Golden Eagles, 72-62, on Thursday evening at the Charleston Civic Center.
 
With the win, the Cardinals completed a three-game season sweep of the Golden Eagles, claiming game one on the road 68-67 and won the re-match in double overtime, 86-80.  Like the first two meetings, the two teams battled back-and-forth to a one-point halftime differential; however, Jesuit took control of the scoreboard in the opening minutes of the second half and never looked back.
 
The Cardinals 10-point victory was fueled by Justin Fritts, both Sieferts, Eric and Ben, and Joe Prati. Fritts poured in a team-high 19 points on a 60-percent effort from the field which included a 6-for-10 showing from the floor and a sizzling 5-for-6 performance from beyond the 3-point arc. Eric Siefert brought the momentum he generated in the tournament opener to Charleston, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Older brother Ben navigated the WJU offense, adding 15 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. Prati rounded out the Cardinals' double-digit performances with a solid 12 points, six rebounds and three assists – Andre Harris chipped in seven points and four assists while Tim Goff and Darin Harris had two apiece.
 
The quarterfinal game between the Cardinals and the Golden Eagles was much like their final meeting, as the two teams traded points until the 11:50 mark. With a three-point advantage, UC's Robbie Dreher buried consecutive shots from behind the 3-point arc for a 22-13 Golden Eagle lead. Charleston established their largest lead of the game at 27-16 with 7:13 left to play in the first half before Jesuit's started causing a real threat.
 
Fritts started a 7-0 run with a long distance bucket, and the Sieferts followed with four points. Eric cashed in with a layup while Ben connected with two free throws, 27-23. UC stopped the run, but WJU quickly responded with a a strong inside move from Darin Harris. Moments later, the Golden Eagles pushed the lead to eight points, 33-25. However, Jesuit outscored UC 11-4 for a 37-36 halftime deficit.
 
Wheeling Jesuit opened the second half with back-to-back layups, and Charleston followed with two buckets and a free throw for a 41-40 advantage. On the ensuing possession, a Prati lay-in reclaimed the lead for Jesuit, and Fritts followed with a 3-pointer coupled with a second layup from Prati to take a 45-41 advantage.
 
The Cardinals extended the lead to nine points, 52-43, and continued to build, taking the largest lead at 55-43 with 9:49 remaining. Charleston attempted to reduce the deficit, but only managed to bring it to six points, 64-58 with 2:25 left. Eric Siefert and Fritts stopped the run with with a pair of free throws each. Prati found the bottom of the net from close range to push the lead back to double figures, 70-59. Jesuit responded again as Ben Siefert scored in the paint, and Jesuit held on for the win.

The No. 4 Wheeling Jesuit squad will play the top-seeded West Liberty Hilltoppers on Friday, March 1 at the Charleston Civic Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.