Men's Basketball | 1/20/2016 12:13:00 PM
WHEELING, W.Va. - Come one, come all to the best Ohio Valley basketball matchup of 2016. Thursday night marks the biggest home games of the season for the Wheeling Jesuit men's and women's basketball teams, as they host rival West Liberty University.
The women's game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tip, with the men's contest to follow. Both games will be broadcasted by CardinalCast and can be streamed live by clicking on the team's schedules on the WJU Athletics' website.
Tickets can only be purchased at the door starting at 4 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are 10 dollars for adults, and five dollars for students with valid student ID.
Women's Basketball:
The women's game for Thursday night will provide a great matchup between the MEC's top two women's teams.
The West Liberty women's team ranks No. 13 in the nation with a record of 15-1 and a perfect 11-0 slate in the MEC.
WJU holds second place in the MEC with their record of 14-2 and 9-1 in MEC play. The Cardinals lone conference loss came at the University of Charleston on January 4.
The teams met three times a year ago - twice in the regular season and once in post season play. The Cardinals took the first game 82-76. West Liberty tied the season record at one apiece with their 60-48 victory on February 28.
The postseason matchup came in the second round of the 2015 MEC tournament. WJU fell behind by 10 points in the first half, before winning the second 20 minutes of play by 10 points, sending the game into OT. West Liberty prevailed, 70-68, in the overtime game.
In the 2014-2015 season, West Liberty claimed both victories in close manner. The Hilltoppers won 68-67 at WJU before winning 71-66 at home late in the season. West Liberty claimed two more close victories in the 2013-2014 season, 69-65 at WJU and 67-56 at home.
Leading players for WJU:
Leading players for West Liberty:
Liz Flowers - 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game
Kierra Simpson - 13 points, 12.1 rebounds per game
Kailee Howe - 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 10.8 assists per game
Johnie Olkosky - 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds per game
Men's Basketball:
As if the stakes were not already high enough, West Liberty comes into the contest ranked No. 1 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Men's Basketball Top 25 rankings released Tuesday. The Cardinals made the polls biggest jump to No. 13, making the Thursday night meeting that much more intriguing.
WJU enters the contest in a tie at the top of the MEC standings with a 16-1 record overall and a 9-1 mark in Mountain East Conference play, with its only loss coming against No. 3 ranked Fairmont State, 94-91, on December 3. The Cardinals have since rattled off 11 wins in a row.
West Liberty enters the men's contest with a record of 15-1 overall and 9-1 in MEC play. The Hilltoppers come off their first loss of the season Monday night at Concord University.
In recent years, the games played in the Alma Grace McDonough Center have not failed to disappoint. Last years' matchup saw West Liberty win on its final possession of the game, 94-92. At West Liberty last season, the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. WJU won the contest 102-80 over then No. 5 ranked West Liberty.
In the 2014-2015 season, West Liberty defeated WJU 70-50 at home, and won 93-89 in a thrilling game held at WJU. The 2013-2014 season saw similar results, as West Liberty won 101-76 at home, and 87-82 at WJU.
Leading players for WJU:
Leading players for West Liberty:
Seger Bonifant - 26 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game
Devin Hoehn - 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game
David Dennis Jr. - 14.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists per game
Zach Grossenbacher - 12.1 points, 9.3 rebounds per game
